Acclaimed Melbourne playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s play has an intriguing premise. Art restorer Isabel has never really moved on after the dissolution of her marriage to upcoming actor William. Isabel hears on the grapevine that William is about to remarry a young french starlet. At the ‘eleventh hour’, she gets in touch with him, and asks that they meet up. She tries to coerce him to cancel the marriage and come back to her. William agrees to meet up with her, at her home. He gives her ninety minutes to make her case.

Murray-Smith’s ticking clock drama comes down to being a traditional story about a man and woman going over their relationship trying to work out where they stand, and what this crazy thing called love is all about. There are the peaks in their encounter as in the time when they travelled around Rome, and then there are plateaus as in when William tells Isabel he doesn’t like her, let alone love her!

Sandra Bates’s current revival of ‘Ninety’ (the play was originally produced by the Melbourne Theatre Company in August, 2008 at the Malthouse) tells the couple’s story with sensitivity, and at times humour.

The two hander is well played by husband and wife acting team, Kate Raison as Isabel and Brian Meegan as William. They captured their characters personalities well, and delivered some trademark, classy Murray-Smith monologues with panache.

Nostalgic and authentic, ‘Ninety’ plays the Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli until April 3, 2010. ‘Ninety’ shares the Ensemble Theatre space with Donald Margulies’s ‘Brooklyn Boy’. It’s best to contact the theatre directly for session times.