L’Appartement is based around the story of Australian couple Rooster and Meg, who have finally taken themselves on the honeymoon of their dreams now that their twins have hit toddler status. The pair arrives at their chic Parisian Airbnb to find that it resembles a painstakingly curated minimalist art gallery more than an actual home – and that’s just the beginning. Their hosts Serge and Lea are the embodiment of European cool – from their style to their careers, the duo sets Rooster and Meg into an inadequacy spiral that is impossible to weather. Tensions swell even further when a mysterious (and rather large) artefact is delivered to the apartment, throwing up questions about Meg and Rooster’s position on the sliding scale of privilege, entitlement and cultural currency.

Despite L’Appartement being her directorial debut, writer Joanna Murray-Smith is far from a stranger to the theatre world. Her celebrated work as a playwright, screenwriter and novelist has formed the perfect foundation for this whip-smart piece of work – which was inspired by her own three-month holiday in Paris with her daughter. Joanna’s cast – Liz Buchanan as Meg, Andrew Buchanan as Rooster, Pacharo Mzembe as Serge and Melanie Zanetti as Lea – slotted effortlessly into their roles, with their decades of combined experience on Australian stages making them the perfect ensemble. When you add the genius of Helpmann, Green Room and Matilda Award-winning and Tony-nominated designer, Dale Ferguson to the mix, you know it’s going to be one hell of a production.

Want to indulge in some good old-fashioned class envy? L’Appartement is running at QPAC from August 3–31 – snap up your tickets here.