You need courage to embrace life to the full, and it takes courage for theatre-makers to play with form and work outside their comfort zone. The two combine in this musical cabaret, or staged song cycle, which takes its inspiration from Tennessee Williams’ early play, The Case of Crushed Petunias.

Williams’ Dorothy becomes Colette Simple, the proprietor of a small-town business who lives with her canary, barricaded behind rows of dull petunias. But one morning when she goes to open her shop, she discovers that her flowers have been trampled by a young man who cheerfully confesses to the crime. Will Colette opt for conformity and safety, or risk and liberation? Matt Peover’s production, niftily designed by James Cotterill to give the impression of a ordinary, small town-life wrapped in cotton-candy pink, has a witty edge and energy. Nathalie Carrington is appealing as the buttoned-up Colette, and Gary Tushaw, (below) is very good as the seductive man, a gossipy neighbour, the policeman plod and a canary who eventually makes its own bid for freedom.

You might think that calling upon a number of playwrights to provide the lyrics that drive the story would lead to a lack of cohesion, but the multiplicity of voices, which includes contributions from Robert Holman, Adam Meggido, Amy Rosenthal and more, works well because they are bound together by Vincent Guibert’s score but remain distinctive. At least, they are when they can be heard. Many of the lyrics get lost, either due to a lack of crispness in delivery or because, despite the use of microphones, they are drowned out by the on-stage band. The latter (which is also very good). If this could be solved, Colette would get a real voice and this plucky experiment could still come up smelling of roses.

• Until 4 October. Box office: 020-8341 4421.