"A Sudden Violent Burst Of Rain" by Sami Ibrahim.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

The play could start off with "Once Upon A Time...." because for most of this play is delivered almost like a fairy tale, or maybe a fable. There are sections throughout where you do almost forget about it being almost imaginary because there are many serious moments, although there are plenty of humorous moments to counter the seriousness, and then, as if being read a bedtime story, the play ends with two words "The end", the lights go down and the trio of actors take their well deserved bows. So what is the story?

Elif, the central character, lives an idyllic rural lifestyle. Day after day she shears sheep, then turns the wool into clouds that bring rain. No work means no rain, so Elif is pretty important.

There is a problem though. When Elif arrived, fleeing war and persecution from her motherland, she neglected to register as one of the King’s subjects. Her boss, who knew of the situation, overworks and underpays her. A quickie romance with the boss’s son sees her falling pregnant. Accompanied by young daughter Ellen, she heads for her country's capital to seek the King’s approval for legal settlement for herself and her daughter. Will she get the ending she wants though?

This story begins in an imaginary world, hence the knitting wool into clouds to provide rain, but the story soon develops into a harsh reality that we have all seen on the news and read in the papers. Irrespective of where this land where Elif has now called home, the immigration system all works the same way, and that could mean that her daughter may be sent back to where her mother originated from when she becomes of age.

It displays the lengthy, and useless form filling sessions and the laughable hoops they have to jump through and queues that refugees have to join just to register to be recognised.

When you get right down to it, it's about a mum and family. The fairytale element comes from Elif trying to explain the situation that she's stuck in to her daughter. That fairytale becomes a way of speaking to her daughter and trying to explain the situation to her and the daughter believing and unravelling that story.

Payash Raslan plays Elif, as well as Gran and a character called Three. 

Elif's final monologue is really powerful and you can make parallels with what is happening in the world at the moment, especially over the pond.

Brandon Hodgkinson plays the Landowner's Son, Letters, Worker and Two.

Completing the trio is Sam Whitworth who is the Landowner, Registrar's Assistant, Lily, Gatekeeper, Woman and One.

All three actors are excellent story tellers and relate the story partly as narration, partly in character mode. They highlight the ridiculousness of the situations they find themself in, but as ridiculous as the situations seem to be, they are deeply rooted in the reality of red tape procedures.

Directed by Esther Warren, this production has brought out the fun from the story, but has also thrust the serious story through the comedy fabric of this piece of theatre. It runs all through without an interval and lasts for about seventy five minutes and keeps your interest for every one of those seventy five minutes.

Nick Gale's lighting design quite literally brings light and shade in the production out, reflecting the mood of the scenes well.

Sound design is by Jonathan Blacknell. The music choices are very interesting and I was finding myself trying to place the music and artists but failed. Thank goodness - especially for music geeks like myself - that the programme lists the artists whose music is used in the show. A nice fusion of modern world music and classical that fits the story very well.

I love theatre that I've not seen before, and especially when it covers subjects that I don't know that much about, and this is one production that definitely entertains as well as educates.

"A Sudden Violent Burst Of Rain" is performed in the Studio upstairs at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 1 February.