Norwich Players

One of Alan Ayckbourn’s later plays, Life and Beth is also one of his funniest.

It’s Christmas and Beth Timms is mourning the recent death of her husband, Gordon. Gordon’s sister Connie, her son Martin and his strange girlfriend, Ella, have come to stay, supposedly to see that Beth has a stress-free Christmas, but with Connie’s drink problem and Martin’s practical ineptitude, this is clearly not going to happen.

Then Gordon, a pompous, domineering husband in life, returns from the dead, intent on helping Beth to “manage her affairs”. But Beth has moved on and having a dead husband telling her what to do is the last thing she needs. Between the three of them, and David the vicar trying to be helpful, this probably the most stressed she’s ever been. What is she to do?

Watching this hilarious situation build up, and how it’s resolved, is a laugh-out- loud experience!