Last night, with the air cooler than it’s been in weeks, Si and I took ourselves off to Buxton to see Diane’s Deli by Joe O’Byrne – and what a night it was.

We’ve seen and loved other plays by Joe before – The Haunting of Blaine Manor and The Bench spring to mind – but this was the second play in his gritty Paradise Heights series, and let me tell you, there’s a lot to unpack here, so bear with me.

This time around, we got to see some familiar characters fleshed out more, given depth and nuance that stayed with us long after the curtain call. The story centres around Sean, owner of the eponymous Diane’s Deli – an Irishman with a terrible secret. Joe plays Sean himself, and his performance is something else. Quietly devastating at times, raw and powerful at others, he holds the stage with a kind of weary gravitas that makes you believe every battered inch of Sean’s life.

Sarah Burrill returns as Gabrielle, first seen in The Bench as a homeless shoplifter and gifted artist with a bruised past. Now a waitress at the deli, she’s still battling her demons while falling – somewhat awkwardly, and very sweetly – for Jake, the aspiring playwright and accidental bacon-burner. Hector McDuff plays Jake with gentle charm and real depth; there’s a lovely chemistry between them that gives the audience some brief breathers between the darker twists of the tale.

Emma Laidlaw deserves full credit for her dual roles – Cassandra and Diane – both so distinctly drawn and brilliantly performed you could forget they were played by the same actor. Not an easy task, but pulled off with flair.

Ed Barry’s Milo is a brooding, dangerous ghost from Sean’s past, crackling with menace and the threat of violence. And Peter Slater, as DS Mackey, manages to be utterly repugnant – in the best possible way. No offence, Peter, that’s absolutely a compliment.

If The Bench was dark, Diane’s Deli plunges us deeper. There’s dark humour, bursts of romance that teeter between awkward and tender, secrets bubbling beneath the surface, and an undercurrent of violence that keeps you on edge throughout. It’s gritty, gripping, and utterly compelling. All human life is here, no filter, no safety net.

We loved it. And we’re already counting down the days until Strawberry Jack.

For more details and where to see, check out the Facebook page –

Diane’s Deli

Just don’t tell ’em Frank sent you…