The Comedy of Errors - Piece Hall, Halifax

Claps of thunder from the stormy skies above could not match the claps of the audience during a mini monsoon at the Piece Hall.

A lightning-filled sky may have been more suited to the production of Macbeth the previous night but Heartbreak's talented cast made sure the show went on.

And the soaked audience soaked up the enthusiasm of the actors as they ad-libbed their way through Shakespeare's shortest comedy -- making numerous asides about the awful conditions.

With most of the crowd sheltering on the Piece Hall's covered balconies, we were treated to the tale of two sets of twins and the mishaps of mistaken identity in one of the Bard's lighter pieces.

The entire cast was first-class, just as they were on their visit to the Piece Hall last year, but Harriet Kershaw in her roles as Luciana/Luce and Abbess really shone brightly among the rain clouds.

David Kerby-Kendall and Mark Powlett also raised laughs with their performances but in truth all the cast were worthy of mention.

Finally, the audience must be commended also for sticking it out on a damp, dank but damn good evening.

Stuart Roberts