THE party's over; the abandoned glasses of wine and half drunk cans litter an otherwise stylish apartment. And then there were two - Laura the host, and Danny, the last man standing.
What happens next unfolds in front of the audience in real time in this outstanding adaptation of David Eldridge's brilliantly written, beautifully observed drama.
This is a bold, brave production running for an hour and 50 minutes without a break and keeping everyone captivated from start to finish.
At the heart of it all are two magnificent performances by Erin Shanagher as Laura, a woman who seemingly has it all and Gerard Kearns as Danny, a man scarred by what life has thrown at him in the past.
Will they or won't they? That is the question. And no I'm not going to reveal whether they do.
The Royal Exchange is always an intimate space but T K Hay's brilliant design complete with the specially-laid Tarmac floor and just right furnishings, creates the perfect backdrop for these two lost souls to dance around each other, challenge, provoke and generally try to suss out who they are.
Erin Shanagher: 'To be so exposed is terrifying and thrilling all at once'
Before you start to think this all sounds worthy, let me reassure you. It's also very, very funny.
And it's sad, it's poignant, at times it's heart breaking. It's uplifting and then depressing - basically it's human.
As an audience we quickly come to feel for both characters and our feelings for them change many times during the course of the evening. At times you want to cheer one of them on; at others you want to shout 'no' when they come out with something wholly inappropriate. The two actors get us to invest in them, a difficult trick which they accomplish with ease. As and when they hand out awards, this production should be in consideration for many of them.
Erin Shanagher's Laura is a wonderful contradiction. She's managing director of her own company, successful, monied, independent, feisty and yet with her almost childlike mannerisms and at times infuriating awkwardness, she's also a little girl lost.
Gerard Kearns Danny hides his loneliness behind a 'Jack the Lad' facade that soon crumbles and reveals a likeable, flawed everyman.
It's rare you see a production where the actors are given so much space. The dialogue and way it is delivered is so naturalistic; there are some wonderful non sequiturs and some emotionally powerful silences which are just so real - who knew watching two characters eat fish finger butties in silence for well over a minute could be so moving?
There's also a brilliant choreography to the whole thing. A manic tidying up session is worthy of Morecambe and Wise at their finest and Laura's dance of seduction to Bros is something that will be hard to ever forget.
They may start out as two strangers at a party but by the end, you feel you know Danny and Laura so well. That's the magic of it all. Just go and prepare to have your emotions turned inside out as you watch this very human drama unfold before your eyes.
Beginning, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until Saturday, March 11. Details from www.royalexchange.co.uk
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