In an high-rise office building, the trio of Manning, Slater and Wilson must find a solution to the Problem, no matter what the cost.

What follows is a fast-paced comedy whose rat-a-tat delivery and intelligent wordplay encompasses a range of skewered topics and scenarios as the hapless protagonists try to find a solution. From satirising nonsensical business practices to suspecting espionage in the strangest of places, the script by Brian Parks barrels from location to location without ever letting the place slacken.

However, the script wouldn’t work without the central performances, with all three actors playing off each other so well and adeptly handling the manic highs and lows of their ticking clock situation. They not only master the verbal sparring but also the physical comedy that ensues, propelling themselves across the room and frantically passing papers and folders to each other without a moment’s pause. This combination elevates the action beyond what could have been a static, purely dialogue-based scenario into something so much more dynamic.

The climax in particular allows all three men to make great use of the limited performance space in a frenetic set piece that makes great use of the minimal props they have on hand. Director Margarett Perry’s decision to use minimal staging also allows for a greater focus on the ability of the ensemble performances to make the audience believe that Manning, Slater and Wilson are traversing across the city, which would have been hard to achieve if not for the aforementioned strength of their respective actors.

The Problem is a mile-a-minute comedy which benefits from committed performances and a mastering of verbal and physical humour to great effect. Parks, Perry and the Twilight Theatre Company have created a show that entertains on multiple levels and never lets up on the laughs.

The Problem has finished its run