Dealer's Choice - TNT

Even if you've never played poker in your life, you'll be caught up in the mounting tension of Samuel West's excellent revival of this fast-paced drama which has more than one psychological sting in its wittily amusing tail.Premiered in 1995, this was Patrick Marber's first play for the stage, written after he himself had spent a fair few nights glued to the tables. The superb performances match Tom Piper's realistic design which shifts from the clean kitchen and brightly mirrored dining room of an upmarket restaurant to its gloomy basement. Here, once a week after closing time, owner Stephen, his staff and his debt-ridden gambler son sit round the green baize table and risk a lot more than their wages on bluff, skill and the luck of the cards. Marber's sharp, edgy dialogue balances outright comedy (Mugsy the waiter's ludicrous plan to convert a Mile End Road toilet into an eatery) with darker insights which reveal the damage that compulsive behaviour can cause — and it's no laughing matter when a fortune can be thrown away on the toss of a single coin.
Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark St, SE1 (020 7907 7060) £22.50 (£15 Sat mats). Until November 17