The Blue Room - Darlington Civic Theatre

IT is hard not to want to be kind about Tracy Shaw and Jason Connery in David Hare's adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde.

After all, their courage can hardly be questioned in taking on a controversial, challenging play and shedding all their clothes in the process.

It is, of course, the full-frontal nudity which has made this collection of sexual encounters between a range of characters such a high profile theatrical event.

Take a beautiful actress straight from Coronation Street (the ill-fated Maxine), add Sean Connery's son, get them to strip off, and the acres of newsprint are guaranteed.

Shaw is as far removed from Ena Sharples as it is possible to imagine.

Clothed or unclothed, she has real sex appeal and that is enough to ensure the touring production is a success.

But it would be wrong to suggest it is just a voyeur's paradise. There are some genuinely funny moments underlined by the electronic message board above the stage, telling how long the sex lasted at the end of each scenario: Three minutes, nine minutes, 45 seconds, zero, 32 minutes . . .

Shaw is at her most confident when she is playing down-to-earth cameos which might not be out of place in Weatherfield, such as the teenage model who tells Connery's predatory playwright: "I am 17 you know - I'm not a total innocent" before jumping into bed with him.

With an effective set and stylish music, it is a pleasant way to spend an evening without ever being great.

Shaw and Connery have obviously got to know each other extremely well - it would be difficult not to in the circumstances - but there are times when it looks like hard work.

And there is never quite the acting versatility across ten scenes to be absolutely sure if it is a new character or still the last one.

* The Blue Room runs at the Civic Theatre until Saturday. Tickets are available from the box office on (01325) 486555.