JOHN Aubrey, the famed collector of other people’s lives, or anecdotes about them at least, is seen in his London lodgings in this one-man show.

Although the sound effects sometimes seem too overtly artificial, they do help to give an impression of the scholar’s straitened circumstances and the life of his neighbours and the streets outside.

The set is extremely detailed, with a treasure trove of authentic props but like the sound it seems to fade out a little early so that the illusion is incomplete.

As Aubrey, David Penrose is at his best delivering the amusing, touching, saucy stories that make up the substance of Patrick Garland’s script with excellent timing and subtle humour that earn enthusiastic audience response.

However, he can seem almost too vigorous for the doddery old scholar and one only gets a very occasional glimpse of the character at the heart of this show.

Ham Quentin