Arts Club returns to Key City Theatre November 14 with its comedy hit Bed & Breakfast.

Sold out runs in Montreal and elsewhere have confirmed the broad appeal of this very smart, very funny play with a big heart and a brain to match. Ashlie Corcoran’s clever direction and perfect pacing showcase appealing performances by Mark Crawford and Paul Dunn.

They play Brett and Drew, a gay couple in Toronto struggling with traffic, their jobs (Brett works as an interior designer, Drew at a hotel) and their frustration trying to buy a house. They also adeptly transform into all the other characters in the story without ever exiting the stage. When Brett’s Aunt Maggie dies and leaves him her house in small-town Ontario, the guys take the leap, sell their condo and move in. Combining their job skills, they’ll turn the place into a bed and breakfast. “How hard can it be?”

With the help of reluctant contractor Doug they begin endless renovations. Eventually, they host their first three sets of guests — the uptight, the obnoxious and the horny — in a scene of wonderful comic chaos. Along the way they meet the quirky townsfolk, becoming quick friends with pregnant coffee shop proprietor Alison, who prefaces each sentence with “Sorry,” her Irish biker partner Chris, and their dogs Anne Murray and k.d. lang.

Crawford’s writing is at its best in weaving this dark current with the comedy. We hear about acts of kindness and generosity but the play offers no easy resolution. A surprise plot line toward the end threatens, but avoids, melodrama.

The two actors make a terrific team. Tall, wide-eyed, slightly gawky Crawford contrasts nicely with the smaller, bearded, more intense Dunn. Neither misses a beat as they mime all the action, assuming a physical gesture or posture and vocal tic to switch characters, sometimes literally spinning from one to another in a second.

Thoughtful and delightful, this Bed & Breakfast is well worth a visit.

Tickets are available at the Key City Theatre Box Office and online.

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