PATRICK MARBER relocates STRINDBERG'S drama to England the night Labour's 1945 General Election victory is declared (a historic news clip sets the scene), in the kitchen of a seemingly affluent Labour peer's house. Christine (HOLLY ROBERTSON) awaits the chauffeur, John (RYAN STAGG in his TFT début), who arrives gossiping about the latest antics of the daughter of the house, Julie (CLARE BLACKBURN). Can these characters transcend the bonds of class, gender and their attitude to each other?

Julie's yearnings are expressed with a wild sadomasochism that seduces and disgusts John, who dreams of escaping to America, while Christine wants to hold onto her man and normality. So the drama portrays a struggle between opposing visions of what the future might hold, and Director RICHARD HACKETT gives equal weight to each of them, with every performance of this beautifully mounted production likely to surprise and shock its audience into profound thoughtfulness.