This would have worked better as a play, probably, because the setting is so sparse, the performances so compact, and the dialogue so forceful.

We're in great company and the story's physical confines don't restrict its range or ambitions. As well as dissecting a 30-year marriage, Potter's script takes in the state of Britain today.

There are moments, mostly in the latter half, when the ensemble works well together and Thomas, especially, gets to shine as her world falls apart. But these elements aren't enough to justify attending this "Party."

What The Party does best is to expose your own efforts to interpret, to know, to be aware of what's at stake.