Their neighbours include a charwoman, her consumptive daughter, a kindly carpenter and a street fruit-vendor. Jealousy and an element of snobbery makes them bicker and squabble, as do their differing political views: republican vs nationalist vs the communist. There is a lot of goading and teasing.

In the middle, Nora is desperately trying to cling onto her husband and stop him getting involved in the brewing civil unrest. She is the queen of clinging - and imploring. She is the character I had the biggest reaction to and I was squirming in my seat as she doggedly pursued her husband making a scene as she went. However, that passion made her character's denouement all the more tragic.

It is one of the reasons why I'm glad I stayed for the second half which sees the fighting between the British army and the Republicans break out. There is less time to argue when there are battles to be fought, looting to be done and places of safety to be found.  While the battle happens out of view its proximity to the tenement is evident giving a growing sense of danger and genuine sense of jeopardy. The women are, in the main, the ones with the sensible heads on their shoulders and inevitably suffer the worst.

Given the problem I had with the first half it is The Plough and (three) Stars from me. It is two hours and 40 minutes including an interval and is playing on the Lyttelton Stage at the National Theatre until Oct 22.