CONSTELLATIONS Duke of York’s Theatre

Nick Payne’s 70-minute play, directed by Michael Longhurst, has successfully transferred from the Royal Court to the West End. A professional beekeeper and quantum cosmologist meet. How will their relationship develop? Payne shows that at any given moment several outcomes can co-exist simultaneously in parallel universes. The permutations are acted out. Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins, manage these quick transitions, which are the play’s special appeal, with great dexterity, variety and subtlety. Spall, for instance, proposes marriage in five different ways, one after another.