PREPARE to laugh your socks off if you are lucky enough to be catching the hilarious One Man, Two Guvnors in Bath over the next fortnight.

The National Theatre’s production of this riotous farce had Monday’s opening night audience in pieces with two-and-a-half hours of non-stop unashamedly British humour.

Set in 1960s Brighton, Richard Bean's adapted version of Italian playwright’s Carlo Goldoni’s comedy The Servant of Two Masters, One Man, Two Guvnors is mad, melodramatic and yet majestic.

The increasingly-complicated tale centres on Rachel Crabbe (Alicia Davies) who dresses up as her dead brother to search for her lover, Etonian toff Stanley Stubbers (Patrick Warner), who killed her twin some days before. To validate her manly appearance, Crabbe insists her departed brother’s engagement to the overwhelmingly stupid Pauline Clench (Jasmyn Banks) goes ahead, employing the help of her dim-witted father Charlie Clench (Shaun Williamson) much to the horror of ridiculously over-the-top Thespian Alan Dangle (Edward Hancock).

Main man Francis Henshall (Gavin Spokes) is beyond brilliant as the incompetent lackie who takes on two guvnors, fuelled only by his hunger for a hearty meal and latterly the love of bookkeeper Dolly (Emma Barton).

Akin to the sheer delirium of Fawlty Towers in some scenes, particularly the restaurant in which Francis must serve two rooms without the diners’ knowledge, setting aside much of the food for himself and helped only by decrepit old waiter Alfie (Michael Dylan), who has an unnerving bout of the shakes and a dodgy pacemaker.

Spokes delivers on all levels in a physically challenging role which involves fighting himself to the ground, wooing a lady, remembering who the heck is he working for and cracking plenty of one-liners in response to some, yes, wait for it, audience participation.

This is a show unlike no other. Pantomime-esque with obvious screen influences from Carry On films, Monty Python and the like, One Man, Two Guvnors provides plenty of rip-roaring laughs and a number of unexpected surprises which will leave you crying with laughter.

It is on at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday, September 20. Call 01225 448844 for tickets.