Bums on Seats tells the comic tale of a new play called Fecund. Three usherettes guide you through a typical day at a shabby provincial theatre, which include the ramblings of a lecherous author, a stage manager with a blinding hangover and incompetent actors.

The pre-show publicity posed the question: 'Is Mildenhall ready for a show such as this?', to which, on the evidence of last Wednesday and Thursday's audiences, the answer is: 'Very probably no'.

Frankly, the production taxed some of the players, but some performances deserve applause. Sarah Flint, for example, did much to link the show together, while there is clearly acting potential in Gareth Lloyd. The experience of Peter Rouse and David Johnson kept things on the move, the latter's philosophical spiel at the end of Act Two being noteworthy. The three usherettes (Lori Scharpf, Toni Mahler, Katie Beckett) were brave in providing the 'continuo' for much of the comedy.

A play within a play is not always easy to sustain and this was undoubtedly a major change for the players, which itself deserves praise. Thus we must hope that they will not be put off by small audiences or somewhat muted responses.

I would, in commending such a brave effort, urge them all to remember – nothing ventured, nothing gained.