Theater Review: 'One Man, Two Guvnors' -- 3.5 stars

"The Servant of Two Masters," an 18th century farce by Carlo Goldoni that pays tribute to the sketch comedy and improvisational anarchy of Italian commedia dell'arte, is rarely revived.

But that won't stop Broadway audiences from eating up "One Man, Two Guvnors," Richard Bean's modernized take on the play. It's undoubtedly the funniest, most insane show you'll find this season.

James Corden, the show's spirited, putty-faced star, plays Francis Hanshall, a crafty servant in early 1960s Brighton, England. Broke and feeling desperately hungry, he manages to find work with two different employers, neither of whom knows that he's making money off both of them.

His first boss, Rachel Crabbe (Jemima Rooper), is wearing men's clothing, acting like a gangster and pretending to be her dead brother. His second boss, the strange boarding school veteran Stanley Stubbers (Oliver Chris), is both Rachel's boyfriend and the man who killed her brother.

In the show's most ingenious scene, Corden attempts to serve dinner to both bosses simultaneously while also stealing as much as he can for himself and dealing with a zombielike waiter (Tom Edden in a priceless performance) who keeps shaking and falling down the stairs.

Corden is also an engaging and excited narrator who frequently speaks directly to the audience and even invites a few onstage for some cameos. For instance, two men are asked to come onstage to help him lift a chest under his management.

Although Nicholas Hytner's expertly staged production admittedly loses some steam during Act Two, it remains a riotous delight full of witty verbal wordplay and crude, often gross physical humor. Even the scene changes, during which a snazzy all-male band performs, are full of life.