The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

One of the oldest adages of them all is being explored in a production of Debbie Isitt’s The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at the Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, tonight.

And director Tracy Murrey, of Dorset-based Dramatic Productions, says the black comedy about middle-aged Kenneth, who gets himself involved in a warped love triangle, tells perfectly the story of that apparent conflict men can have – between the bedroom and kitchen.

“In a nutshell, it’s about Kenneth, a chauvinist with a weakness for fatty foods and skinny women,” she says.

“In the midst of a mid-life crisis he trades in Hilary, his plump and stoic wife of many years for the younger, prettier, slimmer and more culinary-challenged Laura.

“However, he quickly regrets his rash decision and finds himself torn between the delights of Laura’s bedroom and Hilary’s kitchen.

“I couldn’t possibly give any more away but, needless to say as the title implies, Kenneth discovers he can’t have his cake and eat it.”

The play has given Tracy a great opportunity to flex her creative muscles – and audiences can expect to see it cleverly told through a series of flashbacks, which she says can be quite surreal and tricky to stage.

“It’s a great piece for Dramatic as it gives us the opportunity to showcase three of our best loved, local character actors in a cracking comedy: Julia Savill, Russell Biles and Celia Muir.

“I’m committed to not wasting a single humorous moment from Isitt’s extremely funny script but also keen to ensure the pain and point of view of the characters is always underlying.

“The truth of the piece is that it has a lot to say about human weaknesses, loyalty and selfishness as well as being a thoroughly enjoyable, laugh out loud experience.”

Set in the era of rock ‘n’ roll, Tracy thinks this is a story which may resonate with many.

“I guess the play is about the simplest of desires - sex and food - and we’re all familiar with those. Of course, anyone who has been betrayed in love or lamented the loss of their youth will identify with the characters and their situations on some level.

“It’s also worth mentioning that fans of rock ‘n roll will enjoy the soundtrack. A highlight of working on The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband is all the wonderful Elvis tunes I get to listen to.”

This latest project comes after Dramatic Productions enjoyed a successful year in 2014 which saw a string of well-known plays performed – but Tracy wants to continue to support new writing and give people the opportunity to see something fresh.

“We are also committed to new writing and giving people the opportunity to see something less well known,” she says.

“That said The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband was very successful when it was first produced at the Edinburgh Fringe in the 1990s.

“It later enjoyed a run in the West End with Alison Steadman in the lead role so I’m hoping some of our audience will have heard of it.”

And Tracey could not reserve more praise for the play’s host in Poole, praising its support for work created in the community.

“We consider Lighthouse to be an integral part of our work at Dramatic Productions and we are extremely grateful and proud to be an associated company at such a special venue, “ she says.

“Not only does it facilitate our productions it is also an incredibly creative and inspiring environment within which to work. “

She describes the arts scene in Dorset as a whole as ‘vibrant’ and praises the likes of Dorchester-based Activate and the Arts by the Sea festival for giving artists such a good platform.

“On a smaller scale I have seen some excellent fringe theatre popping up in bars such as Camden in Ashley Cross, Chaplin’s Cellar Bar and The Shelley Theatre in Boscombe to name a few - this is just the tip of the iceberg.

"There is a lot going on, however, I would dearly love to see better accessibility to the arts for families struggling on low incomes. Perhaps this is something Dramatic Productions can look at as we move forward.

“As a Dorset girl through and through, I feel privileged to live and work in such a culturally rich part of the UK.”

The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband can be seen tonight at 8pm and tomorrow at 2pm or 8pm. To book tickets call 0844 406 8666.