It’s not often that we get the chance to review West End theatre — even though the last time we did, it went down pretty well — but we think that we may have discovered a bit of a cheat code this time around.

We were looking for a play to see, and after much scouring, it came down to the new Jonny Lee Miller play (“A Mirror”) or “The Unfriend” starring Lee Mack. The decision would seem like a no-brainer; we love stand-up, and Lee Mack is a bit of a legend in that space. However, I do weirdly love ‘Hackers’ and of course ‘Trainspotting’. The deciding factor came down to a technicality; we spotted that you could buy tickets in a box for just £25 each at the Wyndham Theatre! A box? At a West End theatre? For £25 a pop?!? Now obviously, there is a catch; the seats are listed as restricted view, but still, we couldn’t resist it.

So, the night finally came, and as we were led down a tiny corridor to our delightful box seats, the feeling was no less special than we could have wanted. We had our drinks, we had room to manoeuvre, and we were ready for a show.

Let me start by saying that this is a cast with incredible comic prowess. Lee Mack, we’ve already talked about, but Frances Barber (Monkey Dust, Bremner, Bird & Fortune, Inside No. 9, etc.) and Sarah Alexander (Smack the Pony, Green Wing, Look Around You) can both stand toe-to-toe with the best of them.

“The Unfriend” is a classic farce — those reviews that call it “dated” clearly haven’t seen just how well ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ stands up today. The premise is simple enough: polite-to-a-fault British couple Peter and Debbie meet a stereotypical older American woman on a cruise. They throw in the cursory ‘You must look us up if you’re ever in town’ line at the end of their voyage, but their new pal ‘Elsa Jean Krakowski’ follows through and turns up on their doorstep unannounced… oh, and it turns out she might be a serial killer.

What follows isn’t deep, and it isn’t trying to make a point or political statement, but it is funny. The first half builds as the audience gets into the story, but by the second half, the laughs are coming thick and fast. All three stars are on point, with Frances Barber stealing most scenes with an OTT scenery-chewing performance. Lee Mack gets in on the act and even drops one of his lengthy ‘Not Going Out’-style monologue rants to rapturous applause from the knowing audience.

This was one of the most fun nights out that I’ve had at the theatre, and even if you can guess where the plot is going, it really doesn’t ruin the journey. The ensemble cast, particularly Maddie Holliday and Jem Matthews as the couples’ teenage children, keep everything flowing nicely, and I left the theatre feeling genuinely lighter.

This show is only running until the 9th of March, so grab tickets while you can, and if you fancy being fancy, why not grab a box!

Clown Stars: * * * * *

@Wyndham’s Theatre, London