A dark comedy about sex, power and friendship, Oopsy Daisy is the story of two strangers brought together first by coincidence (and too much rosé), and later by an impulsive decision that will change both their lives.

Jo (Holly McFarlane) is a well-known actor and celebrity who finds herself, to her consternation, sharing an Uber Pool one night with Jamie (Rory Fairbairn). He’s also an actor, but a far less established one, and he can’t believe his luck when Jo announces she’s going to get him a role in her latest film. But her loneliness and his ambition prove a dangerous combination, and what seems in the moment to be a fun, naughty idea backfires spectacularly. Can they save their careers and their friendship – or has one bad decision cost them everything?

Written by Holly McFarlane and directed by Mat Betteridge, Oopsy Daisy is a witty and very current piece of new writing that nonetheless packs quite a punch when it needs to. The play explores – though not unsympathetically – the things that successful people might be willing to do to stay on top, even at the expense of those they claim to call friends. It also exposes the less glamorous side of fame; Jo may be a success in a lot of ways that matter to other people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s any happier than Jamie. Stuck in a soulless hotel room, isolated from her friends and husband and living out of a suitcase, we can’t blame her for seeking a bit of excitement – even if her later actions prove more difficult to forgive.

The on-stage relationship between Holly McFarlane and Rory Fairbairn is perfectly executed and totally convincing, both in moments of humour and of tension. Both characters have depth to them – it would have been easy to paint Jamie as a hapless victim of Jo’s whims and manipulation, but instead the fallout from the incident presents an opportunity for him to reveal a much darker side, and for the balance of power between them to shift dramatically in the second half of the play.

With references to the likes of Game of Thrones, James McAvoy and – of course – Uber Pool, and less direct nods also to #metoo and the power of the press to make and break careers, from the start Oopsy Daisy feels very current. The fateful decision at the heart of the plot may be inspired by a rumour about a 40-year-old movie, but the themes of the play are very much of 2019 – or perhaps it’s just that when it comes to the pitfalls of fame, not much has changed in the last few decades. Either way, this is a funny, fast-paced play featuring two excellent performances; hopefully this short run at Katzpace won’t be the last we see of it.

Oopsy Daisy is at Katzpace until 20th November.