Choice: Theatre: Guards! Guards!

Guards! Guards!, The Royal, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent (01782 207777) 7.30pm

Guards! Guards!, the first professional stage adaptation of a Terry Pratchett Discworld novel (his eighth) has been given the stamp of approval by Ramtop Rimfall, the newsletter of the Guild of Fans and Disciples. Although they only represent a drop in the ocean - Pratchett's global army of followers must outstrip even Arsenal's flag-waving hordes - we would have been told if any serious travesties had found their way into Geoffrey Cush's version. Their only major quibble was that Paul Darrow is not completely suited to the role of Captain Vimes, the whisky-slugging cop who attempts to save the city of Ankh-Morpork from destruction by a dragon. Since Darrow is best known for playing the steely Avon in Blake's Seven, this can only be a case of two cult followings being unable to exist in the same space-time continuum. Yes, it's probably the silliest thing you'll see on stage, but, by keeping all the Pratchett ingredients intact (satire, thriller, overblown fantasy etc), this should be an, um, totally Ecksellent Ecksperience.