PANIC promised two things: brown paper and a goatie willy.

With mixed emotions, it’s safe to say it delivered on both scores.

Improbable’s production presents a snapshot of a delirious, possibly schizophrenic, loner who believes he turns into the Great God Pan, mythology’s the half-man-half-goat god with a penchant for nymphs.

Leading light Phelim McDermott, a founder member of Improbable, played Pan and his alter ego.

His physical comedy prompted many of the laughs, including those from an opening sequence reminiscent of Benny Hill. The humour certainly helped the performance bubble along.

But, at times, the front row hooting made the auditorium feel more like a hen do venue. With other gags revolving around Pan’s slapstick phallus – and what he wanted to do with it – the evening was far from high-brow.

Panic tackles some weighty issues, though, and it’s difficult not to question whether the humour is appropriate. The man who descends into Pan-demonium lives alone in a London flat. He’s cocooned himself with self-help books and appears to use “Pan” as an excuse to chase and assault women and young girls.

Three nymphs are played by Angela Clerkin, Lucy Foster and Matilda Leyser. They weave their supposedly real life experiences into their characters to interesting and arresting effect. We’re introduced to the cast prior to curtain up, and echoes of this reality whisper through the action quite wonderfully. The set was made wholly out of brown paper, which for theatre buffs could be the highlight of the production.

The drab and domestic material was turned into a dynamic backdrop, as well as part of the sound effects department and projector screen for some fantastic video effects.

BEN SCHOFIELD