City finance and the state of the UK economy may not sound the most promising subjects for a comedy.

But director David Hardman declares that Keighley Playhouse audiences will chuckle just as much as usual.

He says Shut Your Eyes and Think of England offers a rollicking start to the new season on September 2-7.

There will be all the false identities, extra-marital shena-nigans and absurd situations that audiences have come to expect from the opening play.

Doors will open and close in quick succession, men will find themselves in the arms of the wrong woman, and trousers will probably drop.

Focus of all this comic chaos is a subservient accountant to a city tycoon chasing a deal with an Arab sheikh.

The boss falls ill and our hero has to take his place in order to trick the sheikh and save the country's economy.

The tycoon's mistress poses as a nurse, the accountant's wife is lusted after by the sheikh, and the accountant tries to seduce the tycoon's wife.

And that's only for starters in this farce written by Anthony Marriott and TV sitcom writer John Chapman.

David Hardman says the play was written in 1977 but has aged well, and remains topical due to the current state of the economy.

He says: "It does play well, it just flows along. We set our version in modern times."

The cast includes Keighley Playhouse veterans Barbara and Mike Boothroyd, Ian Wilkinson, Wendy Todd and Geoff Donaldson.

Also appearing are Keighley Amateurs regulars Robert Lister and Rachel McMahon, and making his Keighley debut is Leeds man David Poole.

Tickets are on sale at Keighley information centre in the town hall, or by phoning 08451 267859.