Charles Dickens’s fable A Christmas Carol is a perennial favourite – the 3D animated movie version of the book is currently showing at the National Media Museum’s IMAX cinema.

Next month, a musical comedy version by Bingley Little Theatre is on stage at Bingley Arts Centre.

The title is – take a deep breath – The Farndale Avenue’s Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production Of A Christmas Carol.

This is one of a series of British comedies by writers David McGillvray and Walter Zerlin Jnr about a fictional female-only dramatic society, whose enthusiasm and determination make up for their startling lack of thespian finesse.

The inspiration for the piece came from Zerlin’s mum. He says: “I remember seeing her in shows with women playing men’s parts and doing it dreadfully. But it was the fun and drive they had, no matter what problems beset them.”

Over the years, the Farndale ladies have had a crack at everything, from Shakespeare to Gilbert & Sullivan, murder mystery to French farce.

Their attempts at a serious rendition of the classic by Dickens ends up as a calamity-filled comedy.

Aided and abetted by the virile support of long-suffering stage manager Gordon, these redoubtable women face all the disasters that befall them in stiff-upper-lip fashion, demonstrating the triumph of hope over experience.

The play was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1987. When it went to the USA, co-writer McGillvray said: “I think it’s no accident that the Farndale ladies were created in Britain – possibly the only country in the world which discourages personal achievement as vulgar and has made a cult out of heroic failure.”

Rosemary Grainger, who is directing real-life Bingley Little Theatre actors in this play within a play, says: “It is said that great skill is required to portray incompetence successfully.

“Fortunately, we are blessed with a very able cast who excel by performing amazing feats of mediocrity. Unlike the characters they are portraying, they have worked together to achieve a real ensemble production.”

Gordon, the lone male, is played by Haydn Cavanagh.

Popular veteran BLT actresses Sandra Chewins and Gilly Rogers play Thelma and Mrs Reece, respectively, who battle for leadership of the ladies.

Kat Martin, 17, a member of BLT’s Kaleidoscope youth drama group, makes her main house debut as the youthful, ballet-dancing Felicity.

Alison Main doubles up as the accident-prone Mercedes and Bob Crachit. Gwynneth the pianist is played by Rosemary Grainger’s daughter, Katy Gaul.

The play is on at Bingley Arts Centre from December 7 to 12, starting at 7.30pm. The box office number is (01274) 432000.