A PERFECT summer evening, an elegant setting, a young and talented theatre company and a literary classic seemed a promising combination.

And The Pantaloons' production of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales at Croft Castle ensured that all expectations were fulfilled.

The Pantaloons certainly work hard for their art - they were in Devon the night before and were due in Suffolk the night after - but the energy and freshness they brought to their production have no hint of long miles on the road.

With just six performers and well over a dozen roles to fill, it was a busy evening for the cast who also showed their musical talent in providing an accompaniment for many of the tales.

With plenty of topical and local references, the stories were right up-to-date, funny, sharp and occasionally naughty.

And if there was any doubt about the performers' imagination, then anyone who can make up a musical tale about a student social worker with an enthusiasm for motorcycles whose love for a housewife is temporarily thwarted by a government ban on chips is certainly not lacking in that department.

The Pantaloons are due to return to Croft next year with their take on Grimms' Fairy Tales. If it is anywhere near as good as this production, then there will be plenty of happy people in the audience.