A young man has an affair with a married woman. He is terrified her husband will challenge him to a duel and kill him. Meanwhile he toys with the affections of another and, for a moment, life seems full of joy.

The doorbell rings. The husband enters the room.

Based on Schnitzler's play Liebelei, David Harrower's Sweet Nothings captures the power of sexual longing, the cruelty of tradition and the vulnerability of those in love. The play premieres at the Young Vic, London, in March 2010.

'I write of love and death. What other subjects are there?'

Arthur Schnitzler.