Ashley Martin-Davies’ set splits the stage horizontally with Margaret’s office on the upper level, bright, light, functional and down below the bar and gambling house.  This is where we can see House of Games in neon light strip reflected in the window in reverse, with its dark bar, chairs and table with green baize and a room beyond.  Talk about the Cubs places us in Chicago.

Margaret arrives to find Mike and meets the bartender Bobby, in Hells Angels outfit and tattoos (Andrew Whipp).  She is neatly dressed in her office outfit and slightly out of place.  She asks whether Mike is there.  A man appears (Richard Harrington) who after some introductory banter, admits he is Mike.  The bar tender recognises Margaret from the dust jacket of her book “Driven” and asks her to sign both his copies. 

Margaret explains that she is there on behalf of her friend Billy who owes Mike a considerable sum of money. With a mutual attraction between Mike and Margaret, he agrees to teach her about a con game as a subject for her next book.  Watching this play, you will learn about the short con, the long con, Hold’Em Poker, tells and be amazed at the twists.  You could say that it is the audience who is being cleverly conned.