JOHN Cooper’s company, A1 Theatre Productions, will stage Edward Albee’s At Home and At The Zoo at his old stamping ground of Upstage Centre Youth Theatre, 41 Monkgate, York, from Thursday to Saturday.

From the writer of Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? comes a spellbinding, brutal look at the lives of three New Yorkers in two interconnected short plays.

Tweedy book editor Peter and his wife, Ann, find their everyday conversation taking an unprecedented turn into dangerously personal territory in At Home, which drives him out for a walk in Central Park, where desperate outcast Jerry awaits in At The Zoo.

The roles go to Luke Dunford as Peter, Cordelia Grierson as Ann and Jonny Holbek as Jerry.

“As always when you’re introduced to a writer, it’s exciting to see what you can create from a blank canvas and how you interpret such fresh material,” says Luke. “I’ve never been familiar with Edward Albee’s work, but it’s been great to get away from the norm and produce something that is so different and unexpected.”

The writing uses two everyday situations that everyone will have been in, says Luke, as Albee delves deep into the relationship between an intelligent, hard working, middle-class man and his wife and the impact created by a complete stranger.

“Through the use of very interesting and playful language he creates such intense and shifting emotion, which adds to the idea of pulling the carpet from under your feet as he mixes comedy with the more gritty material,” he adds.

Jonny recalls giggling copiously at the first read-through.

“It wasn’t what I expected and I couldn’t wait to get the script on its feet. The comedy is mixed beautifully with more eye-opening and shocking moments, and I was licking my lips at what I knew was going to be my sternest acting challenge yet,” he says. “It really is an uncommon story; unpredictable and at times absurd.”

At The Zoo is Jonny’s first encounter with Albee. “I’m delighted to have discovered such a fascinating playwright (thanks to Mr Cooper),” he says. “Albee explores the themes of isolation, loneliness and class disparity in a truly unique way, and at first glance it can be quite puzzling. Why has this strange man cornered a random gentleman in the park… for a chat?”

Jerry is a richly complex character, suggests Jonny. “He’s lonely, desperate and dangerous, yet somehow funny and highly perceptive. There’s ample ambiguity in the text, which makes for an exciting journey, for the actors and the audience,” he says. “At its best, the play should be electrifying.”

Cordelia pays tribute to the directorial work of Cooper. “I’m unbelievably lucky to have John in my life because he has introduced me to so many plays and playwrights over the past ten years,” she says.

“Albee is a revelation; he’s cutting, damning, dry and humorous. He gives me a chance to be inside the head of an exciting, complex, middle-aged woman, something that, as a 17 year old, I don’t get to do that often.”

Tickets for the 8pm performances cost £8, concessions £5, on 01904 674675.