The Breath of Life by David Hare

Maskers Theatre Company bring David Hare's The Breath of Life to the Maskers Studio Theatre on Tuesday 22 September. It's a two-hander, a tense cat-and-mouse drama between two mature women that plays out over a single stretch of time: an afternoon, an evening, a night, and the following morning. The whole thing is set in a flat in Ventnor, and it all kicks off when one woman confronts the other about her long-term affair with her husband.

If the setup sounds like a domestic standoff, that's exactly what it is. The two women spend the next day and a half circling each other, and Hare is known for how he lets the tension build, mixing in moments of comedy with some pretty dark soul-searching. It's a play that asks a lot about betrayal and what happens when you're forced to look at someone you thought you knew from a completely different angle.

There's a bit of theatre history behind this one, too. The Breath of Life was originally performed by Dame Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, so it's a part that's built for two strong leads to go head-to-head. Maskers Theatre Company, based here in Hampshire, is an amateur company that describes itself as working to professional standards. They're regulars at Hampworth Lodge and the Nuffield Theatre at the University of Southampton, as well as their own Studio Theatre, so they're well-established in the local scene.

It runs from 7:30pm to 10:00pm at the Maskers Studio Theatre, Emsworth Road, Southampton, SO15 3LX. Tickets are £16.50.