English-born writer/director Sean O’Riordan has returned to his London roots with APPLES AND PEARS, his fourteenth play since arriving in Australia.

Combining elements of absurdity and realism, as he puts it in the program notes, O’Riordan has created characters drawn from London’s rich criminal underworld that the viewer can readily relate to, allowing for a compelling, if at times flawed, viewing experience.

A heady combination of regret, revenge, chance and the best-laid plans of crims and their chess sets, the play takes place entirely in a squalid little apartment atop a rickety staircase, occupied by Max, the quintessential London geezer hiding from a crime gone horribly wrong 27 years ago that irrevocably changed his life, and the consequences of which he is still living with. After much soul-searching, he has decided to make peace with the past and come clean to those most affected by that incident. Or has he?

All four characters in APPLES AND PEARS are inextricably linked to each other, yet the cleverness of the writing does not make much of this immediately apparent, especially to the characters themselves, adding layers of intrigue to an otherwise seemingly straightforward narrative.

Geoff Sirmai’s Max is a bit of a slow burner, highly unlikeable initially, he becomes an increasingly sympathetic character, almost to the point of affability. Sirmai certainly captures the absurdity of his situation admirably, particularly in the scene where he makes a full recovery from involuntary dental surgery (courtesy of a pair of pliers), followed by the even more inexplicable enjoyment of a nice hot cup of tea almost immediately after said surgery.

Co-director Deborah Jones adds more than a touch of outlandish silliness to the pivotal role of Judy- wife, mother and betrayed lover with an agenda all of her own, due in no small part to the costume department, while Eleanor Ryan is more than adequate as Kristen, the daughter unwittingly dragged into the plans of her elders.

But it is O’Riordan himself, as Max’s menacing nemesis Les, who steals the show in the second half, wonderfully outfitted in an off pink 70s suit and channelling more than just a little of Ben Kingsley in SEXY BEAST.

This was a highly entertaining romp and, in the end, whilst it might pay not to dwell overly on some of the plot twists and turns, there are more than enough of them to keep the viewer totally enthralled for the entire duration of the play. APPLES AND PEARS is many things, but boring is definitely not one of them, and writer, cast and crew should be justifiably proud of this effort.

APPLES AND PEARS is playing the Old 505 Theatre, Suite 505, 342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills until November 24, 2013.