There’s room for confusion in American writer Mia Chung’s 2022 dramedy. The opening scene alone – a gossipy encounter between two middle-aged women, played by two men, talking about UK royalty and replete with racial slurs – might leave you might leave you floundering for a few minutes.

Robin McLeavy, Andre de Vanny and David Soncin in Catch as Catch Can. Photo © Phil Erbacher

Catch as Catch Can is a portrait of two connected working-class Catholic families: the Italian-American Lavecchias and the Irish-American Phelans. There are six characters, which Chung stipulates be played by three actors, sometimes against age and gender.

In this production, directed with thrilling fluency by Anna Houston, Robyn McLeavy plays father and daughter Lon and Daniela Lavecchia, while David Soncin doubles as mother Roberta Lavecchia and son Robbie. Andre de Vanny is the troubled Tim Phelan and his garrulous mom, Theresa.

Tellingly, two Asian women characters – Hae-won (from whom Robbie is recently divorced) and Minjung, Tim’s fiancee – are never seen, but they are spoken of in a series of unguarded racist slights that Roberta and Theresa seem to think entirely normal and rational.

There are some costume cues as to who’s who in trhe moment, but they’re minimal. Transformations happen in a blink, achieved through quick-fire adjustments of voice, posture and physicality. It’s not uncommon to see an actor interrupting themself while playing both sides of an argument, switching characters mid-flow without losing the thread. One marvellous scene in which the families get together was dazzling enough to earn its own ripple of applause on opening night.

As the play unfolds, however, the tone shifts towards tragedy. Relationships fray, plans unravel and individual anxieties begin to intersect. Tim’s plight, in particular, becomes increasingly desperate.

Robin McLeavy, Andre de Vanny and David Soncin in Catch as Catch Can. Photo © Phil Erbacher

At 105 minutes without an interval, Catch as Catch Can demands extraordinary timing, concentration and versatility from its cast. Houston’s production delivers convincingly in all respects and one’s time with these people flies by. The accents, coached by Linda Nichols-Gidley, are flawless ands the performances are first-class – among the best I’ve seen from all involved, and that’s saying something.

Catch as Catch Can is at the Old Fitzroy Theatre, Woolloomooloo until 31 October.