Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon review – survival and enlightenment

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The imperilled astronauts' story is retold with a topical slant and a mastery of slow-burn tension

What makes this play by Torben Betts gripping is the thrill of a life-and-death tale told at the pace of a documentary. As the heroic orchestral swells of Sophie Cotton's score give way to unsettling electronic pulses, the playwright thrusts us into the cabin of Apollo 13, where three astronauts must abandon their hopes of a moon landing in order to survive.

With the loss of an oxygen tank jeopardising the power, they must use the moon's gravitational pull to swing them back to Earth. Even if you know what happens, it makes for a tense ride.