By Marina Thomas A SERIAL adulterer, a nutty, self-obsessed wannabe actress and a desperate friend all considering an affair with a distinctly-average man. Sound like a barrel of laughs? Neil Simon s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 s comedy Last of the Red H

By Marina Thomas

A SERIAL adulterer, a nutty, self-obsessed wannabe actress and a desperate friend all considering an affair with a distinctly-average man.

Sound like a barrel of laughs? Neil Simon's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960's comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers is a real hoot but also a real analysis of the human race which gets surprisingly darker as it goes along.

Feeling the swinging 60s has passed him by and sensing mortality creeping up on him, fish restaurant owner Barney Cashman is looking for one final afternoon of hot passion.

He invites three totally different women over to his mother's apartment but gradually realises what is really special to him.

Set over three acts, the first two which could have carried on without a break, the play is all about human insecurities and weaknesses and people looking for a chance to escape reality.

There are many laugh out loud moments but underneath there's a lot of unhappiness and in the final act an analysis of people takes place - who's decent and who isn't.

The play does get darker as we see Jeanette who has experiences the other side of the situation as her husband cheats on her.

While the three eccentric women are delightfully played and the full characters drawn out, the play doesn't go into enough depth to explore the implications of the sexual revolution, what it was and how it influenced today.

I was left wondering about the consequences for today and the issues raised are certainly very much still up for debate.