Two young queer men meet at a conference. One of them is interested in historic materialism. The other wound up there by accident. Subsequent library stalking sees them swap numbers and so their relationship begins.

Long Distance is a story told through SMS messages. The two actors voice their texts. We see their initial clumsy courtship dance. They plan their first date. They navigate their way towards their first sleepover. Their distance relationship, punctuated by periodic visits,  evolves into a comfortable, transactional camaraderie. And then evolves again.

Eli Zuzovsky’s script is sharp, wryly funny and tender. Turns out texts can say plenty. Two distinct characters emerge from the type and the emojis, propelled by assured performances from Jonathan Rubin and Lewis Merrylees. Rubin is ostensibly more – but actually maybe less – comfortable in his own identity, embracing his intersectionality with a galloping, endearing grace. Merrylees is out of his depth, prickly, precise and eager to please. Zuzovsky skillfully navigates the weird blend of bravado, bluster, fragile hope and fear that characterises the early stages of any relationship. His ending is brutally, defiantly ambiguous.

Direction’s tricky when the script gives you so little to work with but Zuzovsky does his best, adding movement where he can. If anything, the somewhat static performances accentuate the distance between the lovers as they try to find a way to speak their truth and to be heard. Silences are used to magnificent effect. It would be nice to see a bit more in the way of set but for a relationship that exists in the ether, maybe the sparsity is fitting.

You’ll have seen versions of this story before but Zuzovsky’s script and super performances elevate Long Distance from being just another long lost love story into a protest cry for our times. Technology supposedly brings us together. But the hollow silence that yawns after an unanswered call is a distinctly keen kind of loneliness.

Long Distance is at ZOO Playground – Playground 1 until Sun 25 Aug 2024 (except Thu 8, Mon 12 & 19) at 14:00