Company B’s promise to deliver “dynamic small-scale works inspired by big visions and big hearts” is certainly kept with their latest offering Ladybird. Gritty, confronting and in-your-face this darkest of dark comedies will provoke a reaction from you, that much is guaranteed.

Translated from prize-winning Russian playwright Vassily Sigarev, Small Things Productions have very smartly brought this play to modern day Sydney.

The story is simple – set in a council apartment called ‘Dead and Alive’ next door to a cemetery, it’s a farewell party of sorts for Dima as he heads off to join the army. Present are his smacked-out flatmate Slavik, his alcoholic Father ‘The Waster’, his strung-out friend Lera and her cousin Julia. They’re waiting for the arrival of Arkasha who is the only member of the group with any money and he’s providing the food and alcohol.

Throughout the evening the party deteriorates into a night of lies, games, unmet needs and violence. The six very powerful performances by this promising young cast take you deep inside these characters’ messed up psyches.

Demi knows his life is going nowhere and so joining the army seems like an ‘out’ for him. Slavik and The Waster are very similar in the fact that they are totally dependent on where their next ‘hit’ is coming from – while it’s alcohol for The Waster, drugs are what feeds Slavik’s addiction. In some ways Slavik is the only really honest character, he basically says ‘I feel like shit and will continue to feel like that until I get another fix’ – what you see is what you get.

Lima is delusional and even though she is constantly talking about making something of herself you know that she’s just not capable of it. Arkasha is a broker of metal, helping the guys make some money by selling the metal that they steal from headstones in the cemetery. But it is Julie who is by far the most frightening character. She may appear friendly and humble at first, but when she turns, you’d better step back!

The intimacy of the space evokes instant reactions from the audience, and it’s not long before the laughter turns to gasps of horror. Be prepared – this play is violent, very violent. There are numerous fight scenes, both verbal and physical, and I swear some of those blows actually landed!

Sexy Ian Meadows holds the play together exceptionally well as Dima, with all the other characters orbiting around him. Eamon Farren has the difficult job of remaining drugged out for the entire play, and manages to make it look effortless. But it’s Sophie Ross as Lera that captures the audience’s attention every time she opens her mouth, her nervous energy both attracts and repels.

So as to maintain momentum the play runs right through for an hour and 15 mins with no interval.

This play is an emotional rollercoaster ride – you’ll walk out physically, mentally and emotionally drained, but deliciously so.

Ladybird plays downstairs, Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills until April 12.