Are the plays of George Bernard Shaw experiencing a comeback?

Earlier this year, the Theatre Royal played host to Mrs Warren's Profession and now comes his romantic comedy Arms And The Man.

This latest production is by The Touring Partners and stars Gwen Taylor and Duncan Preston as Catherine and Major Perkoff.

For Gwen, a notable television face in such series as Duty Free, A Bit Of A Do and Barbara, her role this time is one of the smallest theatre roles she has played.

She says: "It is a good part and one which gives me a great deal of free time. It means I get most mornings and some afternoons off so my husband and I can explore wherever I am playing, in this case Brighton.

"Now I'm not as young as I used to be, time off is fantastic and to have free hours in Brighton is wonderful.

"It means we can explore the restaurants and the seafront and I can be let loose in those shops in the Lanes."

First produced in 1894, Shaw's hilarious study of love and war, honesty and honour and treachery and disgrace remains an enduring classic.

Pricking the bubbles of patriotism, morality and national superiority, it is a sparkling romantic piece and a witty political farce.

Gwen came into professional acting late, not graduating from drama school in London until she turned 30.

She explains: "It was a means of escape really. I was still living in Derby, where I was born, and was trapped in an unhappy marriage. I needed to get out.

"I had done some amateur dramatics and really enjoyed it. So I won a grant from the council in Derby and spent three wonderful years in London studying drama.

"It was one of the happiest times of my life. In those days, the late Sixties, repertory theatre was still in full swing, which was marvellous.

"It meant while you were performing in one play, you were learning the lines and rehearsing for the others in the season. So you could be doing a Shakespeare, learning comedy and rehearsing a musical."

Gwen's first TV show was Duty Free.

She recalls: "We used to get letters from viewers asking where we filmed the series. It was all done in a studio in Leeds but people thought it must be done in a much more exotic location."

Argus readers can get 50 per cent off top-price tickets on Tue, Wed and Thurs. Call 01273 328488 quoting The Argus reader offer.

Performances nightly at 7.45pm with matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm.