HAPLESS café owner René tries to please everyone: his wife, his mistresses, the occupying Germans and the French resistance, while running his little café and attempting to stop the portrait of the Fallen Madonna falling into enemy hands.

Unsurprisingly, he’s not particularly successful.

Six years since Lymington Players performed this iconic comedy, six actors reprised their roles to very entertaining effect.

The cast were clearly having enormous fun recreating the characters, double entendres and notorious catchphrases, which was readily shared by the audience.

Neil Brookes’ (René) performance was more understated initially but he brilliantly developed a natural, rounded character with excellent comic timing, nuances and mannerisms.

Ruth Wagstaffe was highly entertaining as his wife Edith, Maggie Rose was first rate as mistress Yvette, and Mathew Stone was an excellent, camp Lieutenant Gruber, while handling misbehaving props with aplomb!

René’s café quaintly captured the essence of a provincial, wartime French café, enhanced by the live accordion music.