As the May general election begins to take pace, Company of Ten will be showing David Edgar’s acclaimed production If Only – a political drama about the rise and imagined fall of the coalition government – which was first performed at the Chichester Festival in 2013, writes Stephanie Traore.

A coincidence perhaps? No, director Yvonne Harding tells me it was quite a deliberate decision.

Set in April 2010, just ahead of the last election, it surrounds the meeting of three politicians who find themselves trapped at Malaga airport due to the Icelandic ash cloud. The three engage in a discussion of how this might play out, revealing personal secrets along the way.

The second half of the play sees the trio meet again during the 2015 general election.

Act two was based on David’s prophecy, but because the political situation has changed since he wrote it, Yvonne had to go through the playwright’s publisher to gain permission to bring it to present day.

“When David Edgar updated the play for radio broadcast in June 2014, the second act was inevitably rather different,“ she says.

“They spoke to him and he just sent us the radio script, which is an amazingly generous thing to do, and so we’ve combined the two.“

Yvonne, who grew up in St Albans, hasn’t seen the Chichester production of the play herself.

“If you watch the play that you’re going to direct, it’s very hard to come to your own conclusion. It’s quite hard as you tend to take that as how it should be.“

As the play is quite modern, it proves to be technically challenging.

“There’s lots of sound, lights and projection, which is quite complicated. Everyone uses mobiles, computers and tablets – some of it we hear, some we don’t and some of it is onscreen.

“It’s very technical, but the cast is quite technical!“ The actors have had to put lots of work into learning the play’s complicated monologues, Yvonne tells me.

“Of course, in rehearsal they all make mistakes. They get quite distressed, which is nice because it means they care.“

The 76-year-old has been a director for Company of Ten for many years, directing countless productions.

“Teaching drama was my main thing and working with schools and youth groups, then I got a phone call asking me to be in the operatic society. I’ve done everything from opera, rock opera, straight plays and improvised stuff.“

If Only is at Abbey Theatre, Westminster Lodge, Holywell Hill, St Albans, March 20 to 28. Details: 01727 857861, abbeytheatre.org.uk