Words like ‘whimsy’ and ‘fun’ rarely go hand-in-hand with supposedly ‘serious’ or ‘profound’ subject matter. Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar… asks, ‘why shouldn’t they?’ before clasping you in a bear hug and reminding you to value your time on Earth. Written by Tilda Cobham-Hervey, this audiovisual experience begins with you sitting on your own following instructions relayed through a pair of headphones. The friendly voice feeding calming reassurances in your ear asks you to notice the small aspects of life you’d otherwise take for granted: the shape of your hands, the size of a freckle, the people around you. Soon you’re guided to another location to meet a complete stranger, where you’ll act out the awkwardness of sharing a connection with someone for the first time.

Beyond the heart-warming jokes and joy of improvising with another participant is a simple message, but one that everybody should be reminded of at least once in a while: you will die one day and everything around you will disappear, so don’t be frightened to enjoy yourself. The nervous tension of savouring an experience with a stranger and of being an active participant in a show for an hour is dispelled by the atmosphere of a mid-2000s US indie movie being created around you. 

It’s sweet, so sweet that you half expect a ukulele-toting Joseph Gordon-Levitt to emerge from a bush and serenade you and your new acquaintance. Guides are dressed like extras from a Wes Anderson film and the instructions you’re given are at times endearingly silly, placing you in a headspace that can only be defined as completely liberating. Every act of silliness from participants in this show is reinforcing the grand theme that you don’t need permission to step outside your comfort zone, and that appreciating the small moments is an important part of living. There’s beauty in this finite world, and Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar… presents it to you like a pristinely wrapped gift.  

Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar . . . House Of Oz, until 27 August, times vary.