KNUTSFORD Little Theatre is starting its new season with a gentle romantic comedy: A Piece of Cake, written by Lucy Bennett and directed by Sean Duvall.

The action revolves around unassumingly attractive Penelope, played by unassumingly attractive Lucy Oliver, who decides to open a cake shop/cafe.

Despite her experience of city work, Penelope finds that setting up a new business is fraught with difficulties.

Enter ruggedly handsome carpenter, Peter, played by – you guessed it – ruggedly handsome Chris Marriott.

David arrives on the scene.

In complete contrast to his debut role at KLT as a thuggish bouncer, Phil Seymour charms not only the potential assistant Lizzie, but also the audience, with his performance as a cake loving, but rather bumbling, estate agent.

Sarah Lorenz is the not-so-bright, self-effacing Lizzie.

Sarah hits just the right note as the ditsy girl, foil to the reticent David, transforming herself from rather diffident helper to dream date in the process.

Finally, to add a bit of spice, there is sleazeball Michael.

Might Penelope’s smooth-talking ex-boyfriend upset the blossoming relationships in this delightful story, and who will get the girls in the end?

Paul Baston takes on this role with just the right degree of smarminess for the hustling salesman. The theatre, of course, maintains its high standards in all areas of production.

Special note, though, must be made of the clever set, which, thanks to Sean and the KLT crew, metamorphoses by a combination of artistry, invention and theatre wizardry to show the cafe at various stages of completion and repair.

This is Ms Bennett’s first stage play.

Published in 2012, with the popularity of the ‘cupcake’ riding high, it is bang up to date and especially apt in a town such as Knutsford with its myriad of bijou cafes.

In addition to her baking skills, Penelope seems to have a magic touch as events positively affect the people around her.

A collective audience “Ahhhh!” at the end of the show will put the icing on the (cup)cake!

The show runs from Wednesday, September 11 to Saturday, September 14. Doors open at 7pm. Curtain up at 7.30pm. Tickets are £8, available by calling 01565 633000.