If you haven’t already sorted out your festive entertainment this year, there is a hidden gem lurking in the wings courtesy of Liverpool’s PurpleCoat Productions. They’re staging the hilarious farce Noises Off in January, and it’s all double-takes and slamming doors and promises to be packed full with belly laughs.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous!” laughs the show’s director, Karl Falconer. ‘It’s about a group of awful actors trying to stage an old-school sex farce, except that they all hate one another, and the set keeps falling to bits, so it’s really a farce about a bunch of people failing miserably to put on a farce!’

After seeing the final rehearsal in Act 1, the set flips and takes the audience back-stage for Act 2, where all are treated to a half hour silent performance as the actors all try to attack one another with axes, tied shoelaces and even a cactus, all whilst trying to make it on stage in time to perform their play!

‘It really is laugh-out-loud funny,’ adds Karl, ‘and it’s no wonder it’s just been voted as the nation’s second favourite play. We’re quite deliberately staging it just after Christmas and it’s the perfect cure for those post-Crimbo blues with genuine laughs for people of all ages.’

It’s the end of a big year for PurpleCoat, after their short film, The Big Day, which focussed around a Scouse wedding, was shortlisted from over 860 entries in the Virgin Media Shorts competition. They walked away with support from Shane Meadows and are in discussions for funding for a new feature film.

The show promises to be a cracker, and complements the city’s other offerings over the festive period. It’ll soon be January and the start of a new year, so it should be seen in style: if falling trousers and innuendo counts as style!

Noises Off by Michael Frayn plays at The Arts Centre, Myrtle Street, L7 7JA from the 7th-10th January 2014. Tickets are available now at £10 Adults, £8 Concessions, from the Unity Theatre Box Office, www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk, 0151 709 4988