REVIEW: Elizabeth's Last Stand, Ustinov Studio, Bath. Mime artiste Nola Rae makes a welcome return to Bath in this one-woman show about a dotty old dear who imagines she is Elizabeth I.

Inept and cack-handed, 'Betty' dithers around in her drab bedsit until she transmogrifies at will into a be-ruffed, imperious figure, complete with red wig and farthingale.

In her fantasies she defeats the Armada, executes a rival queen and flirts with her servile courtiers. The title reminds us it's a historical fact that the dying Queen Bess had a literal 'last stand' she simply refused to sink to the ground and die. Betty's obsession confers the same plucky, glorious refusal to accept reality.

If you've seen Nola Rae before, you'll know she's incomparable. But the brilliant initial concept of 'Elizabeth' at times lacks development and coherence. More about Betty would be welcome, or a new slant on this historical figure.

However, Rae compensates with a new feature audience participation. Four hapless onlookers found themselves miming the presentation of the first potato to Elizabeth, and having their jacket thrown over an invisible puddle to save the royal fluffy slippers from the rain.

The music, by Peter West, the sound and visual effects, designer Mark Ridout's stunningly innovative staging of the Armada and effective gags such as the queen-eating armchair, made this an unforgettable showcase for Rae's talent and a piquant evening's entertainment.

Sue Le Blond