Nothing could be more normal than a child’s fourth birthday party but as Paper Mouth Theatre expounds in this excellent, lyrical new production these are extraordinary times.

Mary Angley, brilliant in explaining what makes a great Dad, and Yoz Mensch, switching emotions in an instant, give dynamite performances as the doting, neurotic parents of Samuel.

Despite the world being perched on the precipice of the apocalypse, they are determined to give young Sam the best outer-spaced themed birthday party in history.

In fact, there are no lengths they won’t go to secure a wonderful future for their son including beating the crap out of a crepe lolly-horse and sidling up to a Texan billionaire – with a vaguely familiar name – on a trip to Mars.

Along with collaborators Caitlin Ellen Moore (producer) and Dan Thorpe (composer) the two actors deliver a high energy, inventive, intelligent production.

With such creative people on the planet be assured the world isn’t ending anytime soon.