Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith in a play by David Hare.

Two women whose life has, for years, evolved around the same man. One (Judi Dench), the wife, mother of two (or more?) kids and housewife; the other, slightly older (Maggie Smith), the mistress. Wife visits mistress in her house on the Isle of Wight to talk after the man has left both of them to go to the US with his newest flame – an American.

The scenery was nice: living room and kitchen, bookshelves and cosy furniture, sofa and carpet. Lovingly done, with great attention to detail – this might not have been strictly necessary – the focus was on the two ladies, who both have incredible stage presence and could have filled an empty basement with their sparkling performances.

The story binding wife and mistress unwound and evolved in their dialogue, their interaction paced, careful, and angry, but never truly spiteful. There was a bond between them, yet never any warmth. A marked remoteness, bordering on but never ending in coldness.

The two women talked, shared memories, and space without ever moving close to each other in the room. Momentary physical approach was broken off by a brief outburst of fury or despair, of memories of Martin, the centre of their worlds.

The play had four scenes: evening, night, interlude, late night/early morning/day. The lighting complimented the changing atmospheres, mostly keeping the whole stage awash in light or shadows, adding to the remoteness by creating a “whole”, rather than pockets of light/shadow. The women were the only islands in the room, standing out like furniture through the different lighting effects.

Each scene began and ended with excerpts from different love songs, which also served to define the atmosphere. Another thing I enjoyed were the breaks in the mood, especially after an outburst, when Maggie Smith would suddenly offer tea, or food. It was abrupt and yet perfectly natural.

Maggie Smith masterfully managed a wry, slightly sarcastic humour, while Judi Dench was calmer, less cynic, although a little too quiet to be heard at times. Both performances were excellent, complimenting a good script and making it all the more enjoyable.

I loved the ending, the title reference, as Maggie Smith, after Judi Dench had left, declared she’d be going to the beach for a “breath of life”, of freedom. Beautiful closure.