Decade is a patchwork quilt of 14 playlets, commissioned for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 bombing, reflecting its events and legacy.

An ensemble of 16 actors provides colour to the patches whilst director, Kirsty Elmer and her stage crew stitch them together.

The acting throughout is superb but the overlong production suffers from an abundance of material. Some offerings could be trimmed, others cut completely. Staging it as a promenade performance, moving between three areas, slows things down and breaks up atmosphere created.

That said there is much to be commended. The sequence of scenes, going backwards in time involving three widows who meet on each anniversary, is the heart of the show. Pat Boxall, Lyn Snowden and Emmie Spencer develop their characters perfectly, each dealing with their losses in different ways.

Spencer also shines in a speed dating segment, bringing much humour to lighten the otherwise serious drama.

An airport lounge with flights cancelled in the aftermath of 9/11 is the setting for the most chilling moment in the production. Sheelagh Baker’s scream of despair, as she learns that her son has died in one of the towers, shocks and raises hairs on the back of the neck.