THE remarkable story of a small group of soldiers who brought humour to the mud-logged trenches in the first world war is retold with laughter, song and dance.

But the true message of the horrors the soldiers endured is never far from the story.

The chance discovery of a printing press in the ruins of battlefield France launched the idea of The Wipers Times producing 23 issues in between going over the top in hell-holes like the Somme.

But this was a newspaper which kept away from the facts of the war but instead parodied everything about the war with jokes, puns and satire.

This is a beautifully written play which is staged with a polished precision.

It may be a small cast but their impact is amazing and while you laughed at the jokes and the reactions of the officers the story of the war is never far from your mind.

With the approach of the 100th anniversary of the ending of the war this play should be a must-see production for everyone.

The production is on until Saturday.

Malcolm Rees