This grotesque fairy tale with a darkly comic edge is company-in-residence Sweetspot's fourth production at the New Venture.

The play, by Philip Ridley, who also wrote the screenplay for The Krays, follows the events of a single day, vain Cougar Glass' 30th birthday.

Glass, attempting to turn back the clock by pretending it's only his 19th, throws a party with the express purpose of luring young boys back for a quick fix of untainted youth.

The deliciously named eccentric characters include Captain Tock as the long-suffering, big-hearted partner, Cheetah Bee as their eccentric landlady and Sherbert Gravel, the fizzy, feisty obstacle to Cougar's attempted seduction of her boyfriend, the gorgeous 19-year-old Foxtrot Darling, originally played by Jude Law in his 1992 theatrical debut.

Director Emma Kilbey said: "I chose the play because it is edgy and racy yet beautifully written with incredibly well drawn, intense characters.

"It's very topical even though it was written ten years ago. One of its themes centres around defining beauty and the fact one of the characters is obsessed with his looks and holding back the ravages of time is very resonant these days, what with the upsurge in plastic surgery and walk-in botox injections available."

Like The Krays, the play retains the tough, streetwise edge of London's East End. It is set in a living room over a derelict fur factory, is saturated with startling, grotesque images and, in a famed masturbation scene, confronts taboos head-on.

"Ridley's not shy of shocking people," said Emma.

Sweetspot was founded by Emma and her partner Martin Brooks, the play's producer, and they became residents at the New Venture after bringing an already-polished production there a year and a half ago.

"We just stumbled upon the treasure trove that is the New Venture - a brilliant mix of community, amateur and professional works and decided we wanted to bring a professional element on a permanent basis," she said.

They now perform two plays a year and recruit actors from a national pool who have experience spanning film, TV, dance, National Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival.

Tickets cost £7/£6 and the play starts at 7.45pm, Sunday matinees at 2.30pm. Call 01273 746118.

Preview by Katya Mira, features@theargus.co.uk