Chester Little Theatre is gearing up in a very physical way for their latest production - California Suite by the American playwright Neil Simon, writing at his wittiest and compassionate best.

Set in the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California Suite consists of four short plays, the final one involving two couples from Chicago.

They start the holiday as best friends but discover their friendship cannot withstand a mixed doubles tennis match.

A huge row breaks out when one husband accuses the other of deliberately lobbing the ball directly at his wife.

Crayg Ward plays Mort while Stu is played by Sam Bramhall while their two wives are played by Rhiannon White as Gert and Laura Monkhouse as Beth.

Crayg said: “Playing the part of Mort has been challenging. Neil Simon wrote him as a tall, beefy man.  I’m not tall or beefy but I have to convince the audience that I overcome Stu in a fight.

“Sam is much taller than me so to make up for my lack of height, I’ve used my kung fu skills which has earned me the name of the Kung Fu Midget!”

The other three short plays are Visitor from New York in which Hannah, a workaholic Manhattan journalist, bickers with her laid-back divorced husband over their teenage daughter.

In Visitors from London we see a first-time Oscar nominee for Best Actress preparing nervously for the ceremony with her husband (ironically - Maggie Smith won an Oscar for playing the part of the actress in the film version!).

In Visitor from Philadelphia, Marvin a middle-aged business man, wakes to find himself in bed with Bunny, a prostitute prostrate after consuming a bottle of vodka.

With his wife on her way up to the suite, Marvin has to invent a story sharpish.

Marvin is played by Anthony Wheatcroft while his wife Millie is played by Veronica Herd with Rhiannon White as the hooker.

California Suite can be seen at the Chester Little Theatre, Gloucester Street, Newtown, on Saturday, November 16, then from Monday, November 18 to Saturday, November 23 at 7.30 pm.  Tickets by phone 0844 870 0887 or online at www.chestertheatreclub.co.uk.