"Ypres. It's what the Belgians call Wipers."

The Wipers Times, on its publication in 1916, was an instant hit with soldiers on the front line. More than 100 years later the stage adaptation was an instant hit with Salisbury Playhouse audiences.

Returning to the city for the second year running, the Wipers Times, by Nick Newman and Ian Hislop, has once again proven itself to be a sell-out production.

The show follows the true story of soldiers of the 24th Division of the Sherwood Foresters who celebrated the camaraderie and acknowledged the tragedy of life in the trenches by publishing a front line newspaper, the Wipers Times (so named for the English Tommies who couldn't pronounce Ypres).

The Division were posted in Ypres during the First World War when their Captain, Fred Roberts (played by James Dutton) discovered a printing press in some bombed-out ruins.

Naming himself as Editor and Lieutenant Pearson (portrayed by George Kemp) as Sub Editor, Capt. Roberts sets out to print the paper, a journal of wit, thinly-veiled sarcasm aimed at upper ranking officers behind the line and poignant submissions from other soldiers fighting at the front.

Dutton and Kemp should be commended for their character portrayals, and for the utterly convincing on-stage relationship which develops throughout the production.

Both were able to pull off the humour needed, sometimes obvious and sometimes more subtle, but could switch almost instantly to quiet reflection or outbursts of emotion when required.

It was virtually impossible to dislike any character (including sycophantic Lieutenant Colonel Howfield by Sam Ducane, who said the Wipers Times was an "incitement to mutiny" and Roberts should be court martialled for promoting drinking and disdain for senior officers), but the friendship of the soldiers was infectious and heartwarming and the audience felt part of their gang by the end of the show.

A special mention should be made of Dan Mersh, who played Sergeant Tyler, a civvy-street printer, General Mitford who praised the Times from behind the lines and a discerning news editor who failed to appreciate Captain Roberts' journalistic skill after the war.

Mersh was believable and amusing in each of his roles, often providing a quiet background character for Dutton and Kemp to bounce off in editorial scene, and he was an understated star of the show.

The entire production is broken up by skits, songs and music hall performances which had the packed-out audience laughing and applauding.

The cast, who displayed a real reverence for the men they portrayed, were equally as convincing dancing around the stage as they were fighting in the trenches, and struck the perfect balance of reflection and comedy.

The Wipers Times is a poignant and engaging piece of theatre, and all involved should be proud to be part of a fitting tribute to the brave men behind the story, who found light in one of history's darkest hours.

It runs at Salisbury Playhouse until October 28.