Mrs Gary Breath ****

Mrs Gary Breath…well, that’s some title – so what’s going on?

It’s her 34^th birthday and Annie’s life is pretty good: she has a steady job, close friends and enjoys an easy-going flat share with her good friend Chuck. Romance, however, has slipped down the agenda. Her last serious relationship was six years ago, with Gary, whose halitosis gives rise to the title of the show.

She meets her parents for lunch, but something is off - and it’s not just the awkward interactions between her father and the Romanian waitress. Her parents have prepared an offer for her – if she marries by her next birthday, they will give her £150,000. They are determined to see her achieve “a bit of stability at last”.

The feminist and modernist in Annie (Ellie Ross) wants to reject this out of hand and take the moral high ground. On the other hand, she could really use the money...

She hatches a plan: she will fake a wedding with her best friend Owen and split the cash with him. Annie and Owen will announce their engagement, set a date and will just have to pretend to the outside world that they are a couple. A select very few people are party to the deception, one of whom is Jessica.

Jessica is the first obstacle to this hustle; she is Owen’s live-in girlfriend. Annie has a difficult and cagey conversation with her, resulting in Jessica agreeing to the proposition - she and Owen wish to get onto the property ladder. However, her body language suggests that all may not be well.

Ethics seem to be overlooked on both sides – Annie’s parents do not consider this to be bribery, but their ‘inheritance’ argument is thin. But then again, Annie’s subterfuge can only be seen to be fraudulent. The inner circle of friends in the know are uncomfortable.

Marriage itself becomes the production’s central tension. On one level, it is little more than paperwork, witnesses, and a ceremony. On the other hand, it still being a seismic moment in someone’s life (“You only get married once” Annie is reminded), the betrothed often become public property and industries have been created around supporting events. There are engagement, hen and stag parties, honeymoon, cake, dress, flowers, DJ, bridesmaids and more, not forgetting the families, both of whom in this case have strong views about the wedding. The more the juggernaut rumbles down the road, the more Annie cedes control of events.

Fault lines inevitably appear – notably Jessica and Owen splitting up. And Owen’s discomfort with the institution of marriage has never quite disappeared.

Ellie Ross is a compellingly natural performer, comedian and storyteller. She draws the near-capacity audience in and they are with her throughout. Her ability to shift between characters is impressive, but it’s the juxtaposed Annie that catches the eye. She is a feminist, but seeks parental approval. In her mid-30’s, she has a maturity and her own voice, which becomes stifled around her family – at least, until the finale.

The script could probably benefit from some tightening towards the finale, but Ross’ assured, personable and empathetic comedy promises much for the future – indeed, Mrs Gary Breath already feels like the kind of sharply observed comedy-drama that could find itself adapted for a streaming series.