Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS) is looking for actors to play the principal roles in their autumn production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.

And some of the casting requirements are creating something of a double headache, not least because of Shakespeare’s fondness for using twins in his plots.

There is even a danger that the production might have to be shelved as a result.

The director, Mary Fielding, said that she has been able to cast most of the parts, but the leading roles of twin brothers Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus and one of their servants – also a pair of identical twins – remain uncast.

She said: “The play is a hilarious tale of mistaken identity and lost brothers finding each other, with lots of slapstick comedy along the way.”

Mrs Fielding added: “The actors obviously don’t have to be twins, or even look alike. In fact it would be funnier if they looked completely different, but were still mistaken as identical.

“I am looking for actors with some experience, male or female, aged under 45. Perhaps amateur actors are worried about ‘doing Shakespeare’ but The Comedy of Errors is a real farce, and it will be a lot of fun to do. We must have a cast soon we will have to cancel the production, which would be a great shame.”

Time is ticking because rehearsals are set to start on September 2 and the production will run the following month, on October 17, October 18 and October 19 at The Market Theatre in Ledbury.

The Comedy of Errors was one of Shakespeare’s early plays, and it’s one of the shortest, with all the farcical action being presented as taking place in the space of one unforgettable day.

The play’s title, of course, has entered the language to mean a sequence of mistakes and misunderstandings that lead to laughter.

Anyone interested in taking part should phone: 01531 670389 or email chairman@markettheatre.com