In a block of flats in Haringey, everything has gone rather quiet. Nobody talks to each other. People come and go, wrapped up in their own little worlds. That is, until someone -  John - arrives to repair the lift. They have no idea that he is about to change their lives forever. This is how Tom Connolly’s The Man in the Lift begins, and how it will be heard on CamFM this Friday at 19:00.

The play introduces us to a gallery of charming characters. Les thinks he knows everything there is to know about lifts, Maggie can never find her keys, Gladys is desperate for someone to fix her letterbox. Each has their foibles, but we quickly come to love them all the better for that. As they come to life on the airwaves you’ll feel as if Sam has arrived to share his latest culinary creation, or you might catch Steve as he rushes out to a date (is that the fourth this week?). The play offers us a series of unforgettable vignettes into the private lives of these characters: all of them are vibrant, colourful, and distinctly human. For all of its deft, lighthearted humour, though, it is also a profound play about communication, and what can happen when we forget how important it is.

The Man in the Lift promises enjoyment for all who listen.

But just who is this man in the lift? He arrives every day, tinkers with the valve-cakes or changes a panel, and leaves. Something is fishy though: the lift seems to be in perfect working order. Is John who he says he is? Or is there more to his “general maintenance” than meets the eye? The residents have all sorts of theories. One thing is certain, though: they must learn to talk with one another to get to the bottom of the mystery. As they do, they learn not just about each other, but about themselves, as the lift slowly becomes the place they confront their past and present lives.

Rehearsed and recorded entirely from the company’s homes, The Man in the Lift brings together voices and technical expertise from as nearby as Cambridgeshire to the the other side of the world in Australia. There has never been a better time for this play to be heard: as we strive to stay connected in the current global circumstances, we may not have a man in the lift to help us to stay in contact and to stay supportive of one another. What the play imparts, though, is that our ability to reach out comes from within, and we need to be reminded of that now more than ever.

Featuring the stylings of some of Cambridge theatre’s best known voices, and directed by William Ashton and Mahon Hughes, The Man in the Lift promises enjoyment for all who listen. Join them in all in the lift on Friday - you never know what might be different when you reach your floor.

‘The Man in the Lift’ will be broadcast live ONLY on CamFM and the ADC Theatre YouTube at 7pm on Friday 15th May. Buy a free ticket on the ADC website to be sent a reminder on the day