The Phoenix Artist’s Club is a delightful little dungeon just off Charing Cross Road. Inside, the walls are entirely covered with theatrical memorabilia – masks, posters, props, signed photographs and other miscellany. Past the reclaimed airplane seats, off behind the corner of the bar, there is a dark door behind which is the theatre.

The small and intimate space however was used to great effect by the Rock’n’Roll Theatre group for Four Dogs and a Bone. Despite the odd bit of raucous bar-room noise seeping through, the play accommodated this well, in fact embracing the setting in a late-night bar room scene where the characters complain about their dingy theatre bar watering hole. I’m not sure if this detail was in John Patrick Shanley’s original script, but it certainly raised a few laughs.

Two desperate actresses (played by Amy Tez and Laura Pradelska), one overstretched and over-budget producer (Daniel O’Meara), and one naïve and vulnerable writer (Joe Jameson) make up the ‘Four Dogs’ scrapping over the ‘bone’ of the movie. And scrap they do, exceptionally well. All the actors embodied their parts brilliantly, with hilarious and exaggerated physicalisation (particularly from the cringeworthily physically uncomfortable producer Bradley) that brought in the laughs without resorting to outright clowning. Joe Jameson’s redfaced and squirming portrayal of the writer Victor was perfect, showing us just enough edge to his character when he drunkenly confronts a member of the audience in the bar-room scene to make what he is later capable of credible. Laura Pradelska’s Collette is all hardened cynicism delivered with a seductive, rich resonant voice (I wasn’t surprised to discover in the programme that she is also a voiceover artist). Amy Tez’s manically chanting Brenda is all sugar with a sting and wonderful make-up reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor. Josh Seymour’s direction made the play feel full, raucous and well-rounded despite comprising only a handful of scenes; introducing the characters and their twisted relationships to one another and then bringing them all together to clash spectacularly in just over an hour.

Designer George Moustakas’s set was simple but effective, using the small space well to create a realistic production office, make-up trailer and theatre bar (although I’m sure the theatre bar set can’t have been too hard to pull together) with a few well-chosen props and realistic details.

Rock’n’Roll Theatre’s rendition of the play lives up to its mission statement as a dynamic, exciting and well-executed piece, with sparky chemistry between the actors, convincing American accents and perfectly timed laughs.