John Mortimer’s autobiographical play about his troubled relationship with his father resembles an old suitcase hidden in an attic. It is slightly musty, built to last and full of nostalgia.

Under Richard Eyre’s direction, Rupert Everett is delicately cantankerous as the gardening-obsessed barrister, constantly complaining about earwigs while forbidding anyone to mention his blindness.

Eyre has assembled a lovely cast, including Eleanor David as the stoical wife, Jack Bardoe as the anxious, earnest Mortimer Jr, and Julian Wadham in several roles, notably a headmaster banging on rather too enthusiastically to his pupils about the “fruit of your loins”.

Bob Crowley’s panels and screens evoke the lush green grounds of the Mortimer home. Everett’s incisiveness makes the most of lines such as: “The point is to obliterate your opponent and have a little bit of fun while you’re at it.”

Once considered an acerbic portrait, Mortimer’s play has mellowed with age.

A Voyage Round My Father, Touring the UK until November 18. Tickets: britishtheatre.com

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