"Present Laughter is about not being a young one any more," says Rik Mayall, perhaps best known for his own role in hit TV comedy The Young Ones.

Set in the glamorous world of the theatre during the Jazz Age, it was written as a virtually autobiographical story by Noel Coward, though Mayall begs to differ.

"Noel wrote the play about me," he says, clearly being ironic but there are still very obvious parallels.

"The central character is a celeb who has been involved in light entertainment for 20 years and is utterly vain, self-centred and out on the shag.

"He thinks he's very groovy and very fashionable and is worried about getting fat and losing his hair."

Mayall pauses for a moment.

"The big difference is that tragically, I'm not on the shag."

Another less happy coincidence is that, written in 1937, the Second World War was looming and the title implies that laughter is for the moment.

"People laugh harder at a time of crisis. Given that we're going to kill an awful lot of children soon in Iraq, we could be in for some pretty big laughs."

Mayall is now getting very Alan B'Stard (another famous alter ego) and, as such, sparking off the war to help out the play doesn't sound totally out of the question.

"Too right. And don't count yourself out. Get enough people to come to see me and I'll make sure you get 50 per cent of the oil."

Tickets cost £13-£22, starts 7.45pm, 2.30pm matinee Thur/Sat. Call 01273 328488