Laughing Gas

"A lifelong treat" — Simon Garfield, Esquire

Joey Cooley is a golden-curled child film star, the idol of American motherhood. Reginald, Third Earl of Havershot, is a boxing blue on a mission to save his wayward cousin from the fleshpots of Hollywood. Both are under anaesthetic at the dentist's when something strange happens — their identities are swapped in the ether.

What Happens Next?

• Joey, now in a six-foot frame, seizes the opportunity to get his own back on his Hollywood persecutors.
• Reggie, on the other hand, finds himself trapped in the horrible life of a child star, enduring everything Joey had to put up with — including kidnap.

Laughing Gas is Wodehouse's brilliantly funny take on the "If I were you" theme. It offers a wry look at the dangers of getting what you wish for in the movie business and beyond.