You don’t need to arrive with a firm opinion on this play’s central hypothesis – that memories can reside outside of the brain in all cells of the body. Believer or cynic, come along for the ride, regardless.

Michael (Tom Matthews) and Liz (Grace Naoum) are a married couple, dating since high school. Michael has been gravely ill for much of their time together. What started as a heart murmur in his teens became a full-blown life-limiting condition by his mid-20s. His only option? A heart transplant.

Hope springs in the form of the donated heart of a motorcyclist killed in a late-night collision. The surgery goes well. Liz wants to thank the donor’s surviving next-of-kin and they arrange a meeting.

Tom Matthews and Ruby Maishman in People Will Think You Don’t Love Me. Photo © Phil Erbacher

That scene – powerfully awkward – is the first in playwright Joanna Erskine’s engaging drama, whose shuffled scenes trace the evolution of feeling between Michael and Tommy, (Ruby Maishman), the partner of rock musician Rick, whose heart now beats in Michael’s chest.

Ideas like this have been explored before, usually in movies and mostly sensationally,...