An intriguing political comedy - The Fire Raisers begins at the Theatre by The Lake today.

Keswick Theatre Club has chosen the clever morality play by Max Frisch for their spring production.

Director Mike Pilling said: “We were looking for a serious, political play - which is why we chose this comedy! The play premiered in 1958, in Germany. Over 60 years have passed and yet the play still resonates; it’s not hard to think of present threats demanding our attention - global warming, destruction of the environment (personal greed, corporate plundering), third world misery, the occupation of Palestine, the folly of nuclear weapons, radical Islam, Brexit...

"The Fire Raisers is about the failure of a complacent middle class to resist and prevent a looming calamity…and that’s why we chose this comedy!"

The central character, Biedermann, entertains us in the first part of the play as two arsonists cleverly worm their way into his bourgeois household.

A Greek chorus of firemen try warn him, but he chooses not to notice the danger to the whole town as long as he can keep his own house safe.

Then the audience are transported to a very different place where the vainglorious Lord of the Underworld and Beelzebub are about to go on strike.

The reason is that Heaven is full of the powerful, giggling and pardoning one another; whereas in Hell there is ‘not a single public figure, not a single cabinet minister, not a single field-marshal.’

Biedermann - pillar of the local community, but ruthless businessman, doesn't think he should be in Hell. Is it his action or inaction that is being judged?

The play runs from April 24 to April 27 in the Studio, Theatre by The Lake.

Tickets are £12 from Theatre by the Lake or by calling the box office on 017687 74411