The Bible says "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife". Then television ads show us how to get away with it with the man next door. As you can see, love stories between neighbours are as old as mankind.

Therefore, "Over The Threshold", the latest production from the vienna theatre project playing at the Theatre Drachengasse tells a familiar story. Kate and Tom, long term partners, are fighting, and seek comfort from their new and therefore unknown neighbours. Kate with Charlie, charming and passionate, and Tom with Sam, who turns out to be a good listener. What follows are some well known pearls of wisdom on relationships, ending with not quite everyone being happy.

But what's so special about that? Well, "Over The Threshold" is a musical from London's West End. The comedic confusions a la Friends are sung, and accompanied by a piano (Betinna Bogdany). This works very well in this intimate space, especially as author Christopher Hamilton and director Kieran Brown don't take the whole thing too seriously. They make fun of the usual cliches of musical theatre as well as those on gender. Brown as Tom doesn't stop at the boldest slipper-shirt combinations, Lisa Gray and Dave Moskin re-enact scenes from Titanic as Kate and Charlie, and Katrin Mersch tosses her hair with gusto every now and then!

The songs aren't annoying and it's easy to follow in English ("I'm married?" - "You're Married?!") and the many punch lines are well placed. It is only when it should get touchy feely that it starts to lack some "Je ne sais quoi". The production makes no attempt to reproduce all the extravagance  of a full blown musical to the extreme, so "Over The Threshold" is played as a funny sitcom. With music, songs, and in the original language.