The Waltz of the Cold Wind

Paddy Cuneen's utterly enchanting fable about identity and isolation is being given a swift and very welcome revival following its premiere as part of A Play, a Pie and a Pint in the spring.

At turns wildly funny, philosophical and poignant, this 40-minute treat tells of a young woman with a passion for sound and a history of disastrous relationships.

Belle (Candida Benson) lives alone in a flat full of audio recording equipment. She also has a piano frame that creates fantastic echoes when she shouts into it. Which she does, from time to time, although the sound of her own voice is a poor substitute for a conversation with another human being.

Desperate loneliness calls for desperate measures, and after overhearing the mundane exchanges of her upstairs neighbours, Belle hatches a plan that she hopes will make breakfast time more bearable. Without giving too much away, the results are hilarious, but before long is seems like her private project may have had unintended consequences.

Benson gives a winning performance, making her quirky character multi-dimensional and sympathetic where she could so easily have come across as contrived and irritating. She's not alone on the stage – the tale is expertly narrated by Juliet Cadzow, who might be Belle's mother, or her fairy godmother, or just a voice in her head.

Fans of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman will find this a hugely rewarding way to spend a lunch hour. Underneath the surreal comedy is a dissection of modern urban life that strays into dark territory but allows its heroine a wonderfully improbable happy ending.

A version of this review first appeared in The Herald.