Last Chance

Habeas Corpus: A 1973 comedy by Alan Bennett about the sexual revolution then rattling middle-

class morality, this breezy satire turns surprisingly poignant whenever it pauses to consider the fear of death that caused its characters to stray from the straight and narrow. A terrific revival of the play teases its audience into understanding how profoundly this fear has influenced human behavior. Full of bungled machinations, outrageous coincidences and dropped trousers, “Habeas Corpus” is a variation on that popular British entertainment: the sex farce.

*Ends Sunday at South Coast Repertory, Segerstrom Stage, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. (714) 708-5555 or www.scr.org.