A brave and challenging play.  The story is implausible and therefore at the same time lifelike.  This older, solitary man who’s lived all his regimented life in London as a butcher, is hit on by a young, vibrant, slightly wired woman.  It is touching and as they talk, the rhythm of the play, brought out so well by the director Marianne Elliott,  allows their characters to unfold.  She does have further desires apart from his company and love-making and these all come out.  Deep down the play touches on our desire for certainty.  The desire to be loved absolutely for ourselves is a daunting desire.  Even for lifelong partners there is sometimes an uncertainty about what their partner really thinks and feels.   We all change, we all die.  It is only in the present that we can be certain.  The ultimate lines of the play are beautiful and encompass the comforting certainty of giving and accepting.  Throughout the play the voices of Anne-Marie Duff and Kenneth Cranham bring reality to the piece.  Penny Dyer, the Dialect Coach has, as usual done a wonderful job.  The set is stunning, the colours changing in line with the emotional levels of the characters.  Some plays are like pictures and they reveal to us more than what we can immediately comprehend or be certain of.