ALISTAIR McDOWELL has dedicated his 2011 Bruntwood prizewinning play to the North-East and the people there.

Set in in a jobless, druginfested Middlesbrough estate where everyone is a blaspheming user of some kind, Robert Londsdale is the truly convincing Luke, a scientific genius, held back by a serious speech impediment.

He’s unemployed, but has invented a working timemachine, okay it’s made out of cardboard, but it’s a great metaphor for escape and aspiration. His big brother and protector Rob is a dodgy dealer with an attitude (a brilliant, energetic Joseph Arkley), who drags a demented junkie around on a dog lead.

Greg (an excellent sycophantic Ian Bonar) is the hanger on, the over-enthusiastic bespectacled opportunist.

Ben arrives from London to make a business deal with Rob and tries to buy the time machine using some very graphic violence.

Laurence Mitchell does not quite inhabit Ben with the same amount of conviction as the rest of the characters and although the violence is credible, he would not have scared even little old me.

In the second half we meet Luke 2 (a great Lee Armstrong) who has come back from tomorrow to warn his other self and all hell breaks loose.

Saving the best for last, Michael Hodgson is superb as The Man, even though he does not speak in the first half.

When he does, be prepared to say a double wow. Caroline Steinbeis’ direction is faultless.

She has captured a slice of low-life with a tender brutality and humour that makes this production almost perfect.

  • Until June 15. Box office 0191-232-1232 and online live.org.uk

Review: Helen Brown