A play set in North Korea, a country well-know for being totally unknown, was always going to create intrigue.
So it came as no surprise that Friday's (December 22) offering of P'yongyang sold out days before the show, and still had punters turning up in the hope of last-minute no-shows.
The play was held at the Finborough Theatre, upstairs at the Finborough Arms, Finborough Road, Kensington, a charmingly intimate venue no bigger than a large living room.
A huge picture of "the Great Leader" Kim Il-sung watches over before the lights switch off and out come four actors opening the play with a fist pumping ritual of obedience.
A traditional love story in untraditional circumstances, In-Sook Chappell's play takes us on a three-decade journey of hope, frustration and ironic, black humour.
Shy Yeon Eun Mi, played by Anna Leong Brophy, seeks the attention of cock-sure Park Chi Soo and the pair bond over a shared ambition to study performing arts in P'yongyang.
But things turn sour when Yeon Eun Mi makes the grade and breaks the news to Park Chi Soo that he failed because of South Korean blood passed down from his father, Mr Park, played by Daniel York.
A furious Park Chi Soo confronts Mr Park, who fought for the south in the Korean war before being captured and forced to start his life in the north, before a sad story of how his parents, including Mrs Park, Lourdes Faberes, covered up their past unravels.
Park Chi Soo and Yeon Eun Mi, despite poverty for the former and riches for the latter, continue to see each other and write each other love letters.
Particularly impressive is the way black humour is peppered into the dialogue throughout, made to work brilliantly by the actors who convincingly speak of obscene North Korean traditions as normally as a Brit would speak of making a cup of tea.
The overly excessive bows to the "Great leader", played again by Daniel York, also draw laughter from the small audience.
But despite drawing laughter, it's an immensely sad tale.
The story itself is far from original, but it conveys a message of dashed dreams through painful reminders of how not fitting a dictatorships ideology renders the young hopless.
After fleeing to the south the pair meet again in South Korea, in a disco tech emphasizing the thriving and pole opposite Seoul.
The ending offers no surprises and does seem a little short on ideas, but prior to this point P'yongyang is totally absorbing.
Brilliant and versatile acting coupled with punchy messages, I totally recommend P'yongyang.
getwestlondon gives P'yongyang four starts out of five.
