Having twice performed Pink Champagne, we decided in 1998 to do the Hanmer & Park version of the popular Die Fledermaus. The operetta tells how the respected Dr. Falke obtains his exquisite revenge on his friend Eisenstein for a prank played on him. Eisenstein had left Falke in the middle of the town square sleeping off the effects of a fancy-dress party - with Falke still dressed in his bat costume. Falke became a laughing-stock around the town and decided to get his own back. A forthcoming party at Prince Orlofsky's villa offers the opportunity he has been waiting for…

Eisenstein has just been sentenced to 8 days in prison for a minor offence, but Falke arranges matters so that Eisenstein (without his wife Rosalinda's knowledge) can defer his arrival in prison until the following morning. This allows the two friends to go to Prince Orlofsky's party that evening and enjoy the female company. Rosalinda, now free for the evening, arranges a tête-à-tête with her old flame Alfred and gives her maid Adele the evening off so as not to be disturbed. Adele also obtains a ticket to the party from her sister Ida. The prison governor then arrives at the apartment to arrest Eisenstein and take him to jail. In order to protect Rosalinda's reputation, Alfred allows himself to be arrested in Eisenstein's place.

Falke tells Orlofsky of his plans to obtain revenge on Eisenstein and the Prince willingly plays along. Eisenstein arrives and is introduced to the guests as a French marquis. He quickly identifies Adele among the guests and demands to know what she is doing there, but Adele (on Falke's instructions) pretends to be an actress and publicly ridicules her employer for "mistaking" her for his wife's maid. Governor Frank is introduced as a French Chevalier and quickly strikes up a friendship with Eisenstein - each of them blissfully unaware of their true identities. Falke now arranges for Rosalinda to arrive disguised as a masked Hungarian countess. She is outraged to see her "jailed" husband flirting with all the ladies present but Eisenstein is fascinated by the new guest and is soon flirting with her instead. Rosalinda artfully relieves Eisenstein of his pocket watch, which he, in fear of being compromised, vainly tries to recover. His attempts are cut short by the clock striking 6am, when he must report to prison.

Roaring drunk, Frank returns to the jail to receive a report on the night's events from his equally drunk assistant, Frosch. Alfred (who Frank and Frosch both believe to be Eisenstein) has asked for a lawyer. Before Frank can decide what to do about this, all the ladies from the party arrive to watch the fun, having been let in on the plot by Falke. Eisenstein arrives and tries to persuade Frank that he really is Eisenstein, which Frank will not accept as he knows he arrested Eisenstein at home the night before. Eisenstein realises that Rosalinda had been entertaining a secret lover while he was at Orlofsky's party. He seizes the lawyer's wig and gown and in this disguise obtains a confession from Alfred and Rosalinda before flinging the wig down and accusing his wife of infidelity. She in turn produces the watch and accuses him of the same! Falke then appears and reveals that the night's events were all his beautifully-orchestrated revenge on Eisenstein. The operetta ends with mutual reconciliations and the promise of a stage career for Adele.