Flora, a poet recently arrived from England and planning a tour despite her declining health, finds herself courted by the Maharaja (Irvine Iqbal), the British officers stationed there and a talented portrait painter, Nitad Das (Gavi Singh Chara). Each plays a brief but meaningful role in her life.

The British often treated foreign postings as opportunities to relax their usual standards of behaviour Kenya had its “Happy Valley,” and in India the arts flourished, including a vogue for nude portraiture. When Mrs Swan entertains guests with tea and cake, she recalls fragments of the past and discovers a partially finished nude painting of Flora.

Director Jonathan Kent has worked skilfully with the cast, all of whom deliver believable performances. Ruby Ashbourne Serkis is particularly impressive; on stage for most of the play, she captures Flora’s determination to live each day fully, knowing her time is limited. Felicity Kendal brings just the right balance of presence and gentle eccentricity to Eleanor, a woman entering the early stages of dotage. As a small piece of trivia: when the play premiered in 1995, Kendal played Flora; now she portrays the surviving sister.

The ending is both sad and uplifting. The audience, myself included, clearly enjoyed a thoughtful, well‑directed, and beautifully performed production. I intend to see it again before it closes.