If you look closely at this show’s backcloth, there’s barbed wire nestling in the hay bales of an idyllic, Ravilious-style painting.
It’s a potent visual metaphor for this quietly devastating 1932 drama by W Somerset Maugham, which sets cankered patriotism in the disillusioned aftermath of the First World War in a genteel English drawing room.
What Maugham does so skilfully is to count the sombre cost of war on the men, of course, but also the women, who find themselves with such a paucity of romantic options.
The three grown-up daughters of the Ardsley family all have to make hard choices when it comes to love and the ever-excellent Justine Mitchell gives the most moving performance I’ve seen all year as nervy, almost-on-the-shelf Eva.
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In a softly shattering scene, Eva grabs desperately at what she perceives as her last chance of escaping perpetual spinsterhood.
Given that this is directed by that master of naturalism Howard Davies, there’s some superlative acting on offer to help us over the occasional creak in the script.
Yolanda Kettle excels as beautiful, flinty Lois and Joseph Kloska does fine work in the tricky role of blind yet perceptive brother Sydney. Davies and his team render superlative service.
Until September 5 (01243 781312, cft.org.uk)
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