YOU don't have to look far for parallels in Thanks to his Sister. Post-graduate student Brian (Nick Newman) is doing a PhD on the poet Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy.
But time's running out: the dissertation has to be submitted in 12 days. Trouble is, just like his subject Wordsworth, Brian has a doting but meddlesome sister, Sylvie (Sam Dart), who's slowing things down.
That's in this universe, the here and now. In another universe, which we also see, and which from time to time in the play interacts with our own, we have Wordsworth himself, played as a splendidly self-satisfied character by Steve Conlin, his sister Dorothy (Charlotte Bond) and his French mistress Annette (Sylvia Robson), who bore his child.
Written by Robin Acland, it's a good idea for a play. Production director Dickie Garton brings out its qualities and makes it highly entertaining. The text is often a clever parody of Wordsworth, making comical reference to his work, and often rhyming. Acting is accomplished. The suggestion of incestuous feelings comes over well from both sisters; and so does the impression that each sister has been dumped unfairly in the shade compared to her brother.
The indignation from Wordsworth and Co that Brian is getting some of his character assessments wrong is done well; there's a super Mastermind send-up scene where the three of them quiz him on his factual knowledge of their comings and goings.
It's a happy play. Apparently there's contention among scholars as to the whereabouts of the poet during one particular autumn: was he in Wales or France? By the end of proceedings we know the answer.