With summer shenanighans, and kiss me quick hats, Largs Players Comedy Theatre hasn’t always been one to push the boundaries out in terms of providing alternative entertainment, but there is little doubting they have excelled in that particular genre this year.

It is usually a staple diet of holiday fun down the coast, with a bit of Carry-on thrown in for good measure, and could quite happily sit as an extension of a popular 1980s BBC sit-com.

However, in more recent years, there has been a change in tone, with more bittersweet comedy of memories from holidays past, or a series of fast flowing sketches.

And this year, the Comedy Theatre has gone out on a limb with arguably one of their most ambitious efforts yet.

The names of both one act plays ‘The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon’ and ‘22 Hardcastle Court’ left little to the imagination, and with the publicity machine promoting the involvement of some of the young actors and actresses from Largs Academy’s acclaimed ‘Phantom of the Opera’, there was certainly an element of mystery and trepidation as we ventured into the creeking little theatre by the sea, but rarely can the Brisbane Centre have seen so much energy and vigour, particularly in the last 20 minutes!

22 Hardcastle Court centred on the ups, and more often the downs, of 32 year old teacher Emily, played by Laura Edison, who is desperately trying to escape the clutches of her haranguing mother, played by Sue MacPhee, when buying a new flat, but settling in isn’t as easy as planned as confusion and mishaps result in all sorts of comical mayhem.

Amourous students, played by Rachel Scott and Alistair Maxwell/Ben Gilmartin, appear to use her flat as nothing more than their hang-out for their romantic endeavours, and further trouble arrives on the scene in the shape of George, of the snappily titled ‘Port Glasgow Bowling Caledonian Co-operative Club’, who seemed to be ‘up for a bit of rough’.

Emily’s character is full of indignation, before turning round to the audience, stating: “Enjoy some rough? I haven’t even enjoyed some smooth!” It is full of fun and farce, and now, at last, we know the truth about whether Drew Cochrane, as George, does indeed wear a toupee, but you will have to go along to the Comedy Theatre to find out!

Introducing the second act, Gordon McMurray promised a Monty Pythonesque humour fest, and ‘The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon’ provided a completely surreal edge to seaside proceedings as young actors David McGarvey, Jordin Revel, Alison Goldie, and Laura Newton provided a sensational hour of quick witted humour, audience participation, and all round madness, as they attempted to perform all 209 fairytales within the allocated hour, but in all their gruesome original glory - complete with endings!

Two narrators and two actors combined classics like Snow White and Hansel and Gretel - complete with the crowd providing the sound effects - to more bizarre, obscure stories like The Devil’s Grandmother and The Girl Without Hands - all classics by The Brothers Grimm.

Fast and furious, hats off to all the young actors and actresses who kept the energetic pace going with real style and panache, from a baby doll shooting out of a mother’s womb on to the floor in front of the stage during Rapunzel, to the majestic Cinderella finale which really does have to be seen to be believed. In the rousing finale, Jordin Revel played the complete cast, including the birds (tweet tweet!), in a magically diabolical scene which was hysterical, brilliant, and worthy of the Edinburgh Fringe.

But of course, fairytales aren’t real, or are they? One thing is for sure, they make rich pickings for leftfield out of the box humour. The cast interchange each night with Kirsty Strahan and Karen Wilkin also appearing in the frenetic second production.

One thing did of course ring true at the end of the night as the audience at the Comedy Theatre all headed home, happy ever after.

And Largs Players directors Kevin Jannetts and Linda McMurray can take a bow for a dynamic double act of contrasting style with laughter, thrills, and genuine amazement come the finale!

* Lights and sound by Calum McVittie, David McGarvey, Ben Gilmartin and Alastair Maxwell.

* The comedy theatre is at the Brisbane Theatre on Thursdays and Fridays, doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Pay at the door.