If you have outgrown seasonal pantomime, Cambridge Theatre Company's The Hypochondriac, with its colourful period costumes and clearly drawn comedy characters, is an uplifting substitute. It may be over 300 years since Moliere: wrote this classic French farce satirising the medical profession, but this up-to-the-minute translation has a freshness that will appeal to modern audiences. Ironically, it was whilst playing the title role that Moliere suffered a very real haemorrhage on stage and died two hours later. Credit for the modem translation (and for composing the music for the rarely performed interludes) goes to Gerard Murphy, who also gives an outstanding performance as Argan. Obsessed by all things medical. Argan wallows in imaginary ill-health, happy when he is miserably sick and comforted only by pills, potions and, in particular purgatives. He even expects his daughter, Angelique (Debra Gillea), to marry a doltish young doctor so that he can enjoy cheap medical consultations, but his plan is amusingly foiled by his cynical maidservant, Toinette (Kathy Burke). As leading actor, translator and composer, the highly accomplished Gerard Murphy might have stolen the show but Nich Philippou, director, has brought together an exceptional cast who successfully double to play 16 comical characters, including travelling players in commedia dell’arte style. They include Avril Clark as Argan's faithless wife, James Dreyfus as Monsieur Purgon, Kevin Elyot as Beralde and Damon Shaw as Thomas.