Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s anthology series returns with a hilarious, Shakespearean comedy of errors.

What a treat Zanzibar is, a fun thirty minutes of rhyming couplets that plays with the conventions of Shakespearean comedies – asides to the audience, twins separated at birth, mistaken identities, treachery, geriatric watersports… OK, that last one might not be 16th Century authentic.

Set on the 9th Floor of the Zanzibar Hotel, an Art Deco corridor of doors to its many rooms, it feels like we’ve tumbled into The Grand Budapest Hotel by way of Fawlty Towers and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It can be no coincidence that director David Kerr was also calling the shots on Russell T Davies’ recent version of Dream.

Reece Shearsmith relishes his villainous turn – Iago meets Edmund the Bastard – while Rory Kinnear in a wig has great fun in the dual role of prince and backpacker. Naturally it all descends into a farce before wrongs are righted and all’s well that ends well.

Verdict: Those with more than a passing interest in Shakespeare’s works will enjoy spotting references from the Bard’s plays, while even a novice will chuckle away at the broad comedy, clever asides and cheeky rhymes. 9/10

Nick Joy