THE laughs were coming thick and fast when “CityNews” attended a rehearsal of Bruce Hoogendoorn’s original play,  “Warts and All,” opening tonight at the Courtyard Studio.

We already talked to Hoogendoorn about his idea of writing a play dealing with family histories, but during a scene of it was a different matter.

Will Huang, playing the 17-year-old Simon  sent to stay with his grandmother in Queensland, was finding it difficult to stay out of a large cupboard created by set design, Wayne Shepherd, a cupboard in which many of the family skeletons are locked.

Locked in a dispute about the reality of family stories with his cousin, played by Adellene Fitzsimmons, Simon is the catalyst for bringing up the home truths.

All eyes will be upon Oliver Baudert playing the  80-year-old, grandmother, Alice, but don’t expect it to be a drag performance – Baudert is playing it for real, telling “Citynews” 30 had been very impressed when Geoffrey Rush played Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest”. After reading Hoogendoorn’s script, he said, he felt he could get inside the character of Alice.

One thing we all agreed on was that exploring family history had become a national obsession – the TV program “Who Do You Think You Are?” has a lot to answer for.

“Warts and All,” The Courtyard Studio, until April 12, bookings to 6275 2700 and canberratheatrecentre.com.au