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The National Theatre's summer musical for 2004 is an unqualified winner. They've revived one of the very best of all comic musicals, and it is a hoot and a half from start to finish.
Even without the sprightly music and witty lyrics of Stephen Sondheim (written before he became operatically ambitious and - dare I say it? - occasionally a wee bit pretentious), the book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart would be one of the funniest farces ever.
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Caroline Sheen's heroine, described in one of the songs as having only one talent, being lovely, is the essence of air-headed blonde. Sam Kelly's father is dirty old man personified when he isn't being henpecked husband personified. Philip Quast's general is a walking legend-in-his-own-mind.