Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness is the first play in a series of four over the next few weeks from graduating directors of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

The stops were well and truly pulled out by Nik Partridge, as much as the spots squeezed out in the second scene in a Bristol theatre in less than a week (after Howard Coggins’ tiny Speedos in Adolf & Winston at the Old Vic) that will stay with me long after curtain down.

There were some delightful directorial touches within this production of Anthony Neilson’s play, from the visualisation of the Trevi Fountain in not quite the perpetual motion of water from the human statue currently plying his wares on Corn Street, to the sight of planets rotating around the solar system.

Partridge, a school drama teacher before joining BOVTS, was ably assisted by the design flare of Rosanna Vize who looked like she had raided Cox & Baloney on Cheltenham Road for many of the vintage items artfully scattered around the stage.

The effusive showman Gant was played with relish by Zachary Powell, while Darren Seed also revelled in the production’s silliness. James Keningale made most of the audience laugh just by a knowing look and provides a wonderfully foolish introduction to proceedings.

Meanwhile, Roisin Kelly’s role as Madam Poulet does not afford her best countenance, but she ensures this show does not veer off too far into self-parody and instead poses intriguing questions of taste, memories and emotion.

Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness is at the Alma Tavern Theatre until May 4. For more information, visit www.oldvic.ac.uk/edward-gants-amazing-feats-of-loneliness.html.