The title of Conversations After a Burial pretty succinctly describes the subject-matter of this play by Yasmina Reza - better known for the more successful Art. Two brothers and a sister gather to bury their father in the grounds of his country house. They are joined by their uncle and his new wife, and a former girlfriend of Alex, the younger brother. A series of conversations - articulate, enigmatic and witty - do, as promised, ensue.

The jealousy, and love, felt by Alex for his elder brother, Nathan, is at the heart of the play (nothing too original here - think Cain and Abel, only better-read). Their relationship is complicated by the alluring Elisa (Cassandra Browne), ex-lover of Alex but in love with Nathan.

The tone is reminiscent of a film by French auteur Eric Rohmer, or one of Woody Allen's darker, more serious films such as Interiors. Sophisticated characters talk, have sex, fall in and out of love, drink whisky, smoke cigarettes, quote Baudelaire, and talk some more. And while the dialogue veers on the portentously pretentious at times, the overall effect is an engaging, intelligent and ultimately rewarding exploration of grief, familial and sexual relationships, and the nature of writing.

The principal pleasure in this production is the superb acting. I particularly enjoyed Guy Woodward as the cynical, unhappy younger brother, abrasive and sneering and yet ultimately sympathetic. Tegan Shohet was also very strong as the older Julienne. But to single out two performances is unfair on a very accomplished (and attractive) cast who are never less than thoroughly watchable.

So if you're prepared to put your thinking cap on, concentrate a little, and engage with some grown-up themes, then don your beret, pocket a packet of Gitanes, and mosey on down to the Burton Taylor Theatre this week. Otherwise you could always go and see Troy.

George Tew 19/5/04