Practise may not make perfect in the case of Darren Murphy, but it certainly makes for improvement beyond all recognition in this entertaining little tale of London lowlife. A few weeks back, Murphy's much earlier play The Flats was given a production at Chelsea Theatre, an evening so dreary that he deserved no second chances. But not only has Murphy got his act together, he also gets a production from Lisa Forrell that brings out the best in his three-hander. The Arcola once again proves its versatility, representing very nicely, in designer Rachel Payne's use of the vast playing area, the storeroom belonging to Robert, who was once a noise in London gangland culture. Robert now lives on his memories (stored in a biscuit tin) and getting his clueless protege, Joe, to rearrange the faces of paying clients.
It is nothing compared with the glory days when the storeroom was apparently the scene of terrible gangland tortures and earned Robert the title of Caligula. But Robert, who has a taste for history, doesn't seem to realise that history has many different perspectives, depending on your sources, and a new source called Mary is walking through his door.
Murphy's plotting is neatly entertaining, perhaps almost a little too neat in the way it ties things up, but the real pleasure comes in the edgy energy and intelligence of the writing, which marks Murphy out as a playwright who could go all the way. The performances certainly do, with Suzan Sylvester terrific as bruised toughie Mary and Chris Harper and Peter Tate playing off each other well as the young thug and the man who would be Streatham's answer to Alexander the Great.
· Until June 5. Box office: 020-7503 1646.
