My other half loves the theatre and makes sure I get a regular dose of theatrical culture, and so it was that she booked us tickets to go and see Erica Whyman’s revival of Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf at Northern stage, taking advantage of the rather fabulous 2 for 1 first night deal.

Edward Albee’s melodrama is a tale of warring couples and their disappointments hidden and amongst academics and their spouses at an American University in the early 1960s. The whole saga evolves over a few fraught early morning hours in the living room of George (Jasper Britton) and Martha (Sian Thomas); an unsuccessful academic and his disappointed wife. The night is comprised largely of a vicious argument between the couple, played out in front of their guests Nick (John Hopkins) and Honey (Lorna Bennett), a younger lecturer and his wife who they have invited back for drinks after a campus party. The argument between George and Martha is in turns both vicious and hilarious, but most of all it is almost excruciatingly painful to watch, particularly as it reaches its denouement, reminding me of that other great living room melodrama: Abigail’s Party. Like Abigail’s party, the play feels very much like a period piece, and the early 60s setting gives the set and costume designers a chance to indulge in some very fashionable mid-century modern design a la Mad Men, and very authentic and stylish it all looks too. Even the architecture of the Northern Stage building itself seems to be rather appropriate, dating as much of it does from the late 60s.

It can’t be an easy job carrying on an argument over three acts even if you are acting, and in particular Britton and Thomas must have been suffering from some serious exhaustion and sore throats at the end of the evening. The British cast’s American accents were pretty convincing to my untrained ear and didn’t seem to jar too badly even with my girlfriend which is high praise since she hails from Pennsylvania.

It was an evening which I would highly recommend, provided you can cope with being in the middle of a very personal and bitter quarrel for a couple of hours. Also, if like me, you happen to work in a university you may find some of the themes of the stalled career of Geroge and the desperate academic and social climbing of Nick all too familiar. Nonetheless I had one of the best nights out at the theatre I can remember in a long time. My partner enjoyed the experience a little less than me, because as she put it: she couldn’t find much to empathise with in any of the four characters. It’s an argument I can understand, but for me the bittersweet mix of conflict, pathos and humour, tinged with hidden disappointments was compelling.