ADDINGHAM Drama Group’s first play of the year opens this month, with the group opting for Alan Ayckbourn’s ambitious comedy, How the Other Half Loves.

Set in the late 1970s, the play exposes the lives of three very different couples – the Fosters, Philips and the Featherstones – and explores how they all become inextricably linked through lies, deception and complete misunderstandings. It’s an intricate production that has a bit of anything – laughs, silly antics and spiralling chaos, but it is also serious at times.

The set also stands out as unusual. It is a split stage, something rarely seen in the theatre, and adds to the ambitious nature of the show. It simultaneously displays both the Philips’ and Foster’s lives, meaning that the characters sometimes pass each other despite being in “different” houses.

Lisa Jones-Tinsley, director, said: "We are well into our rehearsals now, with all the experimenting, disputing and discussing you’d expect. We’re going along at a great pace, putting everything into each rehearsal. It’s been a great experience, with a very talented group and I can’t wait to get it in front of an audience.’ The play runs from April 25 to April 29 at Addingham Memorial Hall. Tickets at £8 from: ticketsource.co.uk/adg or 07849 450489.