Michael Byrne plays businessman and father Joe Keller with a swagger which subtly suggests he is hiding something. Sometimes there is a funny line:"I like to keep ahead of my ignorance" he says when accused of not reading the news, and sometimes he bursts into anger.
His happy, but eventually tortured, son Chris goes through a fine range of emotions played by Alexis Denisof (a cult favourite from TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and the visiting Ann is given a vivid portrayal from Alice Patten.
With a ten-strong cast it is impossible to mention everyone but Dearbhla Molloy is pitch-perfect as Joe's troubled wife Kate and there is a charming cameo from Oscar Reddrop as an annoying neighbourhood kid.
Ultimately, it is a production which underlines the dramatic strength now emerging from the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, one which deserves our applause and attention.
