Just as sci-fi can be set close to home, films or plays seemingly about outer space are well-placed to address human emotions. Moon Project only hints at other galaxies. Much of this moving two-hander deals with the dilemmas of two people whose lives collide one day.

We meet both characters in the opening scene and quickly gain a sense of their contrasting personalities. Leila is a short, angry assistant at the National History Museum (“stuck all day in a room beneath the ground doing God knows what”). Between her job and caring for her father, a former NASA scientist, Leila has no time for herself, and no chance to use her degree in aeronautics. Shabab, meanwhile, is an Iranian-American poet-cum-filmmaker (films yet to be made). Life for him is a string of spiffs, dates and takeaways. The view from his ballroom apartment is sublime – but somehow unsatisfying. An accident brings these two strangers together and changes both their futures.

Moon Project collected a slew of awards when it first appeared in 2010, including ‘Outstanding Theatre’ from the Fringe Review. The praise is justified. Through warm, witty dialogue and clever choreography the piece packs a real punch. The small space of the Burton Taylor enhances rather than restricts the physical aspects of the play. Moon Project uses limited props but rarely feels sparse. Action lulls briefly in the middle, but this partly reflects plot. The best sections are those when the two leads interact: these make the 75 minutes of theatre fly past. A special mention should go to use of sound. At times comic, at times poignant; music captures the piece’s shifting moods.

Moon Project will appeal to those who enjoy new writing and intimate dramas. It deals lightly with big ideas; it never feels twee. Titles aside, Moon Project reminded me most of Duncan Jones’ 2009 film Moon – another work with a cast of two which said something fresh about human identity, while discussing spaceships. To anyone who appreciated that inter-galactic piece, I recommend this thoughtfully rocket-fuelled play.