Carlo Goldoni's 18th century comedy about a wily servant who gets the best of his masters by hook and crook is one of the great classic commedia dell'arte scripts of world drama. Goldoni skilfully adapted the comedia dell'arte pattern to his own very funny plots, and the most famous of the resulting plays is The Servant of Two Masters.

But something curious has happened to Tim Supple's Royal Shakespeare Company production since it first played London at the Young Vic almost a year ago. It would perhaps have worked a little more credibly had the doctor's surgery scene - where Cowley is told to take it easy and look forward to retirement - had been placed at the beginning of the story. Back at Pantalone’s house, Beatrice, still in disguise as Federigo, reveals her secret to the distraught Clarice. Gaius quickly becomes unsettled by Merlin's change in personality, which is much more hasty and offensive.Hoping to abate her displeasure, Argravaine draws his sword to kill Merlin, but Morgana stops him, saying she will use Arthur's fondness for Merlin against him. While considering whether Elyan might be the traitor, Arthur wonders if Elyan is concerned about his relationship with Gwen or blames Camelot for his father's death. The rockfall blocks the mercenaries' path to Arthur, but also cuts off Merlin from the king, resulting in his capture. John Savident (Plum) was a regular in soap Coronation Street, though also had a semi-regular role in Yes, Minister and in the early 1970s was the star of cult espionage show Tightrope.

We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others.Interested in keeping up appearances, Pantalone tries to conceal the presence of Federigo and Silvio from one another. The stranger turns out to be Arthur's new manservant, George, who is highly efficient, albeit dull and obsequious.

With that kind of ebullience, and skill in remembering to open and kick shut imaginary doors, as he attempts to serve up two feasts to the two masters, simultaneously, he takes an enthusiastic cast with him, all of them intent on setting an equally high bar with their own characterisations. Apparently what happened was that she appeared in the 1978 film Golden Lady which was an all-female spoof on James Bond.

Full marks to Dominic Kinnaird, who also plays a camp waiter, for choreographing such convincing fight scenes, and to John Candor who plays perky period Italian music on his clarinetto. Mind you, I remember cornering in a Marina at anything above 25mph was so bad, it was a wonder the driver didn't end up in the passenger seat! With a zany plot featuring lost love, mistaken identity, ravenous servants, and lots of letter mix-ups, Goldoni’s classic The Servant of Two Masters makes a wonderful addition to any theater season! You can learn about this Tony Award-winning theatre, our plays, and so much more by visiting our home page. The alternative to pantomime is dished up in Lee Hall's deliciously enjoyable adaptation of Carlo Goldoni's 18th-century farce about the wily Truffaldino, who downsizes the servant economy and doubles his own pay by signing up to two different masters.