Blackadder Dining Experience, Laughlines, Weymouth Pavilion

IT’S the Pavilion – but not as you know it.

For one night only the venue was transformed into an Elizabethan Court complete with a host of well-known comedy characters.

Blackadder is a show famous for its wit and one-liners and this interactive tribute parody does not disappoint.

Michael Wilson-Green is Edmund Blackadder, who saunters into the Ocean Room as we are enjoying welcome drinks, greeting everyone in the character’s typical style.

“She’s mad! This woman is talking to herself!” he shouts as the woman in question, sat alone, carries on a conversation on her phone while obviously waiting for a companion.

It is not a show to attend without being fully prepared to get involved.

“No need to ask your name, Jasper Carrott,” says Blackadder to my guest who, to be fair, has more than a passing resemblance to the Brummie comedian.

He then spends several minutes casually polishing my guest’s bald head with his sleeve.

We are invited – rather forcefully – to form a queue to curtsey in front of Liz Garland as Queenie, and she takes obvious delight in her spoilt, bossy, execution-loving character.

It wouldn’t be Blackadder without a cunning plan and Michael Forrest, playing Baldrick, has more than a few up his sleeve.

With the action going on all around, there’s barely time to eat our three-course meal, although there’s a welcome break when we are served a delicious main of pork, potatoes and vegetables.

The dinner show is certainly not your average entertainment. It is a raucous, hilarious three hours of food, laughter and dance – and guests can expect to get involved in every part.

In fact it was the perfect environment for aspiring comedians in the audience who spontaneously came out with their own witty replies.

What’s more the cast are obviously enjoying playing the characters as much as we, the audience, enjoy watching them.

They approached us afterwards – along with others who have been roped into playing suitors for Queenie – to thank my guest for being a good sport.

It’s not as though we had much choice, but then, it’s all part of the fun.

Comedy dinner show entertainers Laughlines will be returning to the Pavilion on January 23 with their performance of Only Fools and Horses.

Visit laughlines.net for details.