Scores of characters cross the stage of the Theatre Royal during the two-and-a-half-hour performance of Graham Greene's Travels With My Aunt.

Some appear for seconds, others minutes and they include undertakers, customs officers, train crews, policemen, a Gestapo general, a war criminal, an American CIA agent and many others.

Along the way, we pass through France, Italy, Switzerland, Istanbul, Buenos Aires and the steamy, sleazy capital of Paraguay.

And yet this is all done by just four actors. Four men who first appear as City gents sporting bowler hats, dark suits and umbrellas.

Travels With My Aunt was written by Greene in 1969 and he described it as "the one book I wrote just for the fun of it".

It concerns Henry Pulling, a retired suburban bank manager who lives only for his dahlias.

At his mother's funeral, he meets his Aunt Augusta who becomes the catalyst that takes Henry away from his sad, lonely, dull life into a rich melange of excitement and adventure.

Along the way, he meets dope peddlers, spies, Nazi war criminals, corrupt policemen, stranded waifs and all the baggage that comes from his Aunt's far-from-conventional life.

The novel was adapted for the stage by Giles Havergal, currently adapting Brighton Rock - Greene's tale of the violent racecourse gangs of Brighton and memorably filmed with Richard Attenborough as the gangster Pinkie - into the play.

Havergal and director Richard Baron have done a superb job. In their hands, the play becomes a tragic farce and makes for a roaring night out.

The stars are Gary Wilmot, Clive Francis, Jeffrey Holland and Andrew Greenough, all familiar faces with plenty of experience between them.

With just a gesture, they summon some splendid characters. All four actors share every character. Their timing is spot-on, the way they move from scene to scene is clever and intelligent and they deliver some of the best prose ever written in English.

This is writing that sparkles. The laughs come thick and fast and the one-liners are as good as anything by Oscar Wilde.

For all their talent, these four actors prove that with a good script, anything is possible and this totally unbelievable extravaganza of a tale will make you believe.

Do whatever you have to do to get a ticket, Travels With My Aunt is simply great.

For tickets, call 01273 328488.

Travels With My Aunt will also be showing at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, from October 14-19.

For tickets, call 01323 412000.