Horsing about: Dandy Dick revival at the Opera House

In his time, playwright Arthur Wing Pinero was as well known as his contemporaries, Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw. However, with the passing of time his plays have not enjoyed such frequent revivals. It’s 25 years since his comedy Dandy Dick was last toured nationally and almost 40 years since it was staged in the West End. Now, thanks to new company Theatre Royal Brighton Productions, we are getting both, in a lavish new production, starring Patricia Hodge and Nicholas Le Provost, which comes to Manchester Opera House on its last stop before London. The 19th Century farce tells the story of the Very Reverend Augustin Jedd, a pillar of Victorian respectability, who preaches regularly against the evils of horseracing and gambling. However, a visit from his tearaway sister, Georgiana, leads him to risk all at the races, much against his better judgement. Mayhem naturally ensues, with all the necessary romantic intrigue and mistaken identity we’ve come to expect, with a runaway horse thrown in for good measure.

Mon 27 Aug – Sat 31 Aug, Opera House, Quay Street, M3 3HP. Tel: 0844 871 3018, Tue-Sat 7.30pm. Wed, Thur & Sat 2.30pm, £10 – £32, www.atgtickets.com