Three Men In A Boat, York Theatre Royal

10:18am Monday 14th April 2008

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IF the applause at the end is to be believed, most of the press night audience adored this stage adaptation of Jerome K Jeromes novel about three friends taking a boating trip along the Thames.

Personally speaking, I suspect a trip on the Titanic would have produced more laughs than joining this particular trio aboard their skiff, Pride Of The Thames.

The production by Paul Burbridge C who as adaptor and director must shoulder double the blame C moves with all the speed of a boat taking in water fast, causing my interest to abandon ship quickly.

This river trip runs aground before its started, taking 45 minutes before they actually get on the river after tiresome palaver involving hanging a picture and other diversions.

Then there are the music hall songs that punctuate (hinder, if truth be told) the action. These are another source of irritation to me, resembling a bad edition of The Good Old Days.

The humour, like the production, seems old-fashioned and laboured, with obvious slapstick and farcical sequences that recycle tired comic routines.

The boat is effective, apart from a tendency to go round in circles due to the size of the stage. The actors C led by John Sackville, Jonathan Race and Drew Mulligan as the three men C are left floundering.

The Pimms and homemade lemonade at the interval conjured up summer days that the production failed to do. Alas, duty required me to re-enter the auditorium for the second half.

ö Until April 26. Tickets 01904- 623568 or online at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk