FOLLOWING the Western College Players' production of Glyn Robbins' adaptation of Dodie Smith's delightful tale The Hundred and One Dalmatians, the Tamaritans take to the Drum stage next week with their first production for 2012, A Voyage Round My Father, writes Bill Stone.

Author John Mortimer's prolific writings cover novels, journalism and plays for the radio, stage and television. He will be best remembered for his creation of the hugely popular Rumpole of the Bailey, and his TV adaptations of I Claudius and Brideshead Revisited.

His profession was as a working lawyer, which provided material and background for much of his faction. Perhaps unexpectedly, although he had a totally traditional upbringing and education he consistently championed liberal positions, (maybe he himself was inspiration for Rumpole), and was a key figure in the censorship debates, his testimony being instrumental in abolishing the censorship powers of the Lord Chamberlain.

Many of his plays were originally written for radio before being staged and televised. Such was the case with A Voyage Round My Father.

It is an autobiographical portrait of his father who, at the top of his career as a divorce lawyer, suddenly lost his sight in an accident while pruning his apple trees when his son was still a child. But despite this traumatic event he stubbornly insisted on carrying on his life as if nothing had happened.

This led to many frictions and difficult moments with his family and friends, but son John paints an enormously affectionate, poignant, witty and often highly amusing picture of their relationships.

With such an episodic chronicle play spanning some 20 years and covering locations varying from a garden to a court room, a school to a film studio, and many more, the set design presents quite a challenge.

That challenge has been taken up by Nicola Carter, a student at Plymouth University, who is presenting her designs as a project for one of her degree courses.

This humane, powerful and moving true life story offers director Niall Clinton multiple opportunities for weaving the events and characters into a compelling portrait.

It also presents the players with a rich patchwork of fascinating cameo roles. Central to it all, of course, is Mortimer senior, who was in some respects a bit of a monster. This plum role is interpreted by Trevor Hampton, and Doreen Sutton plays his wife. Noel Preston-Jones is cast as their son John, with Helen Scott as his wife.

The scenes from childhood are enlivened by young actors Daniel Teague, Elliot Reed and Emily Harry. Performing the more than 30 supporting roles are Elary Chetwynd, Ruth Thomas, Debbie Teple, Sally Buswell, Catherine Teague, Rob Howard, George Sutton, Geoff Strickland, and James Dobinson.

It runs at the Drum Theatre from Tuesday to Saturday, January 24 to 28.