"They wrote some books / And their fame spread / And thanks to O-level English / They are fairly well read."

So runs the introductory song to LipService's long-running Bront spoof, immediately assuaging any fears that a thorough acquaintance with Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights will prove essential for its appreciation.

With a homely wit that recalls the character-based comedy of Victoria Wood, amateur Bront enthusiasts Audrey (Maggie Fox) and Olivia (Sue Ryding) struggle against the absence of a lottery grant (we must imagine Anne has just nipped out for a cup of sugar) and authentic costumes (Charlotte wears a gaudy pink bridesmaid's dress) to bring the history of Yorkshire's own literary sisters to life.

And very enlightening it is, too. Who knew, for example, that Rochester locked his wife in the attic because she was "careless with me condiments", that 19th century ladies ballroom-danced like Egyptians, and that Charlotte was more prolific than Emily because she had a pencil sharpener for her quill?

In this sharp, but affectionate, send-up, Emily is melodramatic, dumpy and unhealthily fixated with "blasted stumps", while Charlotte is a rather hesitant and gangly foil who tires with her sister treading moor into the carpet.

While the disconnected "recreation" scenes allow for a swift-moving show which never labours its laughs, a few recurring jokes - Audrey's attempts to convey a sense of wuthering weather by repeatedly lifting her skirt, for instance - make Withering Looks as easily enjoyable as a pantomime.

Those who hold up the Bronts as untouchable feminist icons may object to their depiction as histrionic girls lusting after a certain Mr Moorcock. Yet in throwing their own dignity to the (ravaging) wind in pursuit of laughs, Fox and Ryding have become inspirational women in their own right.

Withering Looks, LipService, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday. Box office: 01904 623568

Updated: 13:33 Wednesday, July 02, 2003