Red Peppers is a short comic play about a fading 1930s husband and wife double-act. Night after night married couple George and Lily Pepper travel from one town to another, performing for audiences who groan at their bad jokes and clumsy tap routines. Off-stage, they bicker about their musical director, the theatre manager – and of course, with each other.

The action moves from performances of their unsuccessful song and dance routines to their backstage quarrelling. You wonder why they’re still treading the boards, but it’s the only life they know.

Noël Coward’s Red Peppers provides a loving tribute and revealing look at life behind the scenes in the variety theatres that flourished across Britain between the two World Wars. This was before the days of television - and houses were usually packed.