DUBBED by The Guardian as “the Laurel and Hardy of literary deconstruction”, Lipservice Theatre brought its new work to a packed house at the Georgian.

Maggie Fox’s Mr Darcy ad libbed his way past Jane Austen’s plans for him, hurtling completely off piste and into territory belonging to Daphne du Maurier, Elizabeth Gaskill and Beatrix Potter. Seduced by his reputation as a “strong outdoor swimmer”, earned from the popular BBC version, Darcy dives into a pond at Pemberley and re-emerges at Manderley as Max de Winter.

Sue Ryder played all the other parts, including a harried Ms Austen trying to write while distracted by her domestic duties. The patchwork theme gave more than one ironic nod to the sexism faced by historical women’s writers. After all – needlepoint and quilting were surely more appropriate pastimes for women than becoming aspiring authors?

Characters were attired in period costume made from patchwork, and the backdrop was formed by quilts strewn over clothes rails, wheeled around the stage and either projected on to or used as props.

The vignette featuring Elizabeth and Jane Bennett gossiping in bed was particularly effective, and the prolonged use of the chamber pot with associated sound effects was one of several comic highlights.

Darcy’s return to Derbyshire is hastened firstly by the discovery of Rebecca’s boat and the possibility of a murder charge, and subsequently via a short stint as Jem from Mrs Gaskill’s Mary Barton when he is accused of murder a second time.

It was as Jemima Puddle-duck that Maggie Fox truly excelled, this time as the would-be victim of the murderous fox who is represented as a ruthless landlord.

This patchwork of stories had its audience in stitches, and its slapstick quality perfectly disguised the searing wit and intelligence of the writing. Delightfully silly.

Christina McIntyre