Hollywood, CALIFORNIA — Mammals is a biting, exhilarating meditation on the human struggle between civilized behavior and animal instincts. Written by first-time British playwright Amelia Bullmore and directed by L.A. theater veteran John Pleshette, the story unfolds in the London home of Kev and Jane, a not-so-newly married couple who are in the process of realizing that the institution of familial commitment is laced with landmines they were never aware of.

Each character has their own axe to grind with the others around them. Well-meaning Kev struggles to convince everyone that his infatuation with a coworker has nothing to do with his wife. Jane struggles to reconcile Kev’s absurd logic, all the while harboring a secret attraction of her own. Ill-timed house guests Phil (an old mate of Kev’s) and Lorna (Phil’s beguilingly narcissistic girlfriend) are in the midst of answering questions about their relationship as well, namely whether or not they are an actual couple or, in the words of Phil, just “a three-year-long one-night-stand.”

Both couples’ relationship woes are exacerbated by the presence of Kev and Jane’s young daughters, Jess and Betty. The girls cry over spilled milk, whine over broken toys, and yell about their half-formed theories on “how to sex” and whether or not “hell is rubbish.” The fact that six-year-old Jess and four-year-old Betty are delightfully played by adult actresses makes the amount of room the girls take up in the adults’ lives (and in the house) all the more hilariously apparent.

Director Pleshette’s pacing is spot-on; the play moves forward at a comfortable sprint, chucking out barbs of Bullmore’s wit-spewing dialogue as it drives toward its jarring conclusion. The actors, too, are well-cast, each one viciously present in the flawed character they inhabit. Relationship drama and familial conflict are nothing new to the stage, but Mammals attacks these topics with such punchy fervor that they feel like brand new theatrical territories.

Los Angeles is not traditionally known for its theater scene. While stage productions do get reviewed, it’s sometimes difficult to get people in this town to go to a theater with three-dimensional entertainment. Angelenos, take note: do yourself a favor — ditch the Lost re-runs and go to The Lost Studio to see this play.

Mammals will run at The Lost Studio on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 4:00 pm through Sunday, March 8th.  For ticket reservations call (800) 595-4849, or visit tix.com.