Tis the season for a caustic Christmas comedy from Huddersfield theatre group Dick and Lottie.

The company’s annual half-term offering, which opens on Tuesday, February 17, at the LBT in Huddersfield, is the Alan Ayckbourn festive treat Season’s Greetings, a play whose characters have, in the words of Dick and Lottie director John Cotgrave, “no redeeming qualities”.

Premiered by Ayckbourn back in the summer of 1980, the work takes a look at the way Christmas appears to bring out the worst in families and is set in the home of Belinda and Neville, who have invited everyone over for a traditional celebration. It’s not long before the bonhomie begins to crack and there is cheating over snakes and ladders, fighting over comic books, infidelity under the Christmas tree and a scary puppet show.

“I chose this one because the previous two plays we have done were really quite dark and I wanted something that was potentially a bit lighter,” said John, “but when I spoke to Alan about it, it was pointed out that these are some of the most horrific characters that he has ever written. They are so nasty and mean to each other. They have no redeeming qualities and the humour comes from the spats and nastiness.

“Christmas is a time when people are put under enormous pressure and just crack. The play does have an element of schadenfreude because people do seem to enjoy laughing at other people’s misery. Alan manages to encompass that in all his plays. It is about art reflecting life.”

Season’s Greetings will be the 23rd Ayckbourn play performed by Dick and Lottie, but they still have plenty of the playwright’s work in reserve for future shows. Ayckbourn is premiering his 79th play, Hero’s Welcome, this year.

Why choose a festive-themed work for February? John, who is a drama teacher at Honley High School, explains: “I try to emulate what Alan does and follow his ethos and the play wasn’t premiered at Christmas. Also, we can use our Christmas decorations as props - I never put mine away so I’ve got them on hand.”

Dick and Lottie, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year (and is named after characters in an Ayckbourn play) is one of the Lawrence Batley Theatre’s success stories. It usually plays to full houses. “I’m really chuffed about that,” says John.

However, tickets for Season’s Greetings are still available – it closes on Saturday, February 21 – at £6 to £9, from 01484 430528 or www.thelbt.org