We've all experienced the frustration of staying home to sign for a product that never materialises. 'Four Days of Grace' digs beneath this everyday annoyance to uncover the emotional distress of one dissatisfied customer.
Drew Ballantyne's second play – which follows his his Baha Mousa inquiry drama 'Public Interest' – sees Grace (Rachel Marwood) waiting for the delivery of a new fridge. As the days progress and the promised appliance remains elusive, the real reasons behind Grace's sorrow emerge.
Under the direction of Kamaal Hussain, this brilliant one-hander excels in pinpointing the subtleties of human behaviour. And Grace is very easy to relate to, whether she's fishing out teabags with the handle of a fork or battling with the semi-robotic voice behind the 'helpline'.
Marwood is outstanding in the starring (indeed the only) role. She switches deftly between her heartbreakingly limited fortnightly visits to her son and the humour of providing voices for the figures on the other end of the torturous phoneline. Her inner turmoil is accompanied by the reassuring hum of local radio, which can be surprisingly complementary but intrudes in some of the more tender moments.
Still, 'Four Days of Grace' is funny and sad in equal measure – and a salutory reminder that there are worse things in life than missing your allocated delivery slot.