I judge comedies based on how I think my Cousin Thomas would have reacted. He loved a truly funny play, and his laugh was the loudest cackle you could imagine. Based off of that logic, “The Cottage” at The Forestburgh Playhouse probably would have surpassed all measurements: six out of five stars, 11 out of 10, 125 on a scale of 100. Hilarious doesn’t feel like the right word – I spent most of the show, and the majority of the second act trying to catch my breath from laughing.

“The Cottage” is set in a little English cottage in the 1920s – the site of Beau and Sylvia’s annual hook up, an event they’ve been hiding from their spouses for seven years. Beau Van Kipness is happy with his one night of passion with Sylvia, but Sylvia is done hiding and sends off telegrams to her husband (and Beau’s brother) Clarke and Beau’s wife Marjorie proclaiming their love. The catch: it turns out Clarke and Marjorie have their own secret; they’ve been having an affair for years. Just when you think you’re entering into some strange, twisted version of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Beau’s lover Deirdre shows up declaring she’s divorced her murderer-husband Richard who’s on his way to kill Beau. It’s a show that brings that dry English humor with an American twist to deliver a laughter filled night.

Andrew O’Shanick is equal parts charming and stereotypically privileged as Beau. He reminded me of John Cleese in “Fawlty Towers” and it is hilarious to watch him try to balance and herd the cast throughout the first act. He and Joshua Thompson are truly funny as brothers who both love each other and also want to one-up each other.

Joshua Thompson and Lu Zielinski steal the show as Clarke and Marjorie, turning the buttoned-up-stiff-upper-lip British stereotype on its head as they can’t help keeping their hands off each other. Zielinski commands quite the presence on the stage, and Thompson holds his own in the witty rapport of this show.

Caitlin Gallogly is equal parts naïve and sultry as Beau’s lover Deirdre, making her both a perfect foil and complement to Lara Hayhurst’s Sylvia. Her everywoman character is juxtaposed to the posh Van Kipnesses, and she does manage to steal quite a few exchanges when the doe-eyed ingénue façade slips with some truly worldly one-liners.

Matthew Krob plays the dastardly maybe-murderer Richard with a quieter presence if anything about the play can be considered quiet. He is purposeful in his delivery and adds another element of hilarity into the scenes.

But the shining star of the show, in my opinion, is Lara Hayhurst as Sylvia. Sylvia who thinks she’s being bad and risqué having an affair with her brother-in-law but quickly realizes she’s the most conservative of the bunch when it comes to love. The woman brave enough to face down a so-called killer while also handling the brothers with ease. She is the woman of the house in every way.

This show is one that requires comic precision in both delivering one-lined zingers and comedic physicality. If you remember the TV show “Fawlty Towers” it’s a little like that on steroids. The skill of the cast is evident, and this is the type of show that relies on an all-star cast, and that is what Director Greg Roderick has assembled on this stage. They are funny with every exchange, every movement. Every scotch poured and suitcase dropped. From crawling across the stage to popping up in unexpected places. They are masterful. It’s a romp of a play that tackles the question of what we’d do for love and if we even truly know what true love is. Is love predestined? Does it matter? Does fate ever play a role? And can a marriage ever be truly happy?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the spectacular set design by Maggie Jackson that transported the audience to the English countryside seamlessly. I loved the attention to detail from the crude to the whimsical (keep your eye out for some frogs on wallpaper). And a shout out to Kyle Artone for stunning costumes that fit each character so perfectly. Also be sure to watch out for a special guest appearance towards the end of the show that had the whole audience roaring with laughter.

“The Cottage” runs at the Forestburgh Playhouse through Sunday August 31 with an 8pm showing on Friday and Saturday, and a 3pm showing on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online at fbplayhouse.org or you can call the box office at 845-794-1194.