"If someone plays a concerto on one instrument, you get the tune, and that's lovely,' says Stephanie Cole. "But if the entire orchestra plays it, you get the whole spectrum of notes. I think that's the triumph of this production - we have all the notes."

Having won a British Comedy Award for her role in TV's Waiting For God, Cole has long been valued as one of Britain's leading comic actors. And many will be delighted to see her turn her hand to Sheridan's infamous Mrs Malaprop, a woman who dedicated her name to the misuse of the English language.

But it was only lately, following some 15 years concentrating on new writing, that Cole felt the character "heave, or perhaps hoof, her way back on to the horizon," and she thought, "Yes, this is the right time to do the great classic".

Following the events of one day in Bath in 1775 and co-starring George Baker of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, The Rivals concerns the search for a suitable husband for Lydia Languish, who longs to be the lover of the penniless Ensign Beverley but is intended to marry the eligible Captain Jack Absolute.

But what most remember of Sheridan's comic romp revolves around the character of Lydia's aunt, who seasons the script with such muddled exclamations as "he is the very pineapple of politeness!" and "she's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile!"

"She's a glorious character who's enormous fun to inhabit and discover," says Cole, "although she can be a little difficult to manoeuvre backstage. In order to reflect the decking up of her ancient features, as Sheridan puts it, her dress is a giant thing with plenty of lace and pink bows. I go everywhere like a crab."

"What I love though," she continues, "is that she isn't just a figure of fun.

She has many sides to her and I like bringing them out. For instance, she's described as 'a weather-beaten old shedragon' so she can be pretty fierce.

"She can also be very flirtatious and has an eye for the men and yet there's a tremendous vulnerability in her. People think of her as a comic turn but she is very far from being just that."

Centred around a perfectly Shakespearean device (Lydia's longed-for elopement and rejected arranged marriage turn out to be one and the same), The Rivals is a colourful caper full of romance, deceit and mistaken identity. But under the direction of Christopher Morahan (Daisy Miller, A Dance To The Music Of Time), the cast are, Cole says, steering wide of two-dimensional portraits.

"I was talking to George Baker last night about the different ways in which this has been played through our lifetimes," says Cole. "For instance, there was a very famous production with John Clements and Kay Hammond, which we both remember seeing, where Sir Anthony was just played as the choleric old man.

"Nowadays audiences require something different which goes beyond that constricted style so the different facets of the characters are much more widely explored. I think modern audiences are much more interested in the intricacies of a personality."

Starts at 7.45pm, Thur and Sat mats 2.30pm. Tickets cost £15-£24, call 08700 606650.