Alice steals a kiss from Alice in a supermarket in Crumlin. They are spotted by an actor, who persuades first Alice Kinsella and then Alice Slattery (née Connolly) to tell their story – on stage, to us – in detail, “the more mundane the better.” But the details are not mundane to either Alice, as each relates her separate history and their shared love-story in two quiet, understated, very fine performances.

Of course, a script editor is at work here, and we are reminded that this is performance. Neither Alice looks believably in her 60’s, and the process is deliberately presented on stage: a mind-map posted on the wall behind is surrounded by notes, memos, photographs, prompts, even though Alice and Alice move about the stage as if in their living room, making tea, putting on a record, folding the washing.

Within the limits of documentary-style theatre, I ♥ Alice ♥ I achieves exactly what it sets out to do: this is a moving, often very funny – and intentionally so, we are not laughing at Alice and Alice here – glimpse inside a loving and equal relationship. The confrontational address to the audience at the end is unnecessary: we know Alices exist and we are happy to have eaten cake with them.