Anyone who has even been in a relationship will understand everything that goes on in Jay DiPietro's mischievous romantic comedy, Peter and Vandy.

The play marks its UK premiere with a three-week run at Theatre503 starting on Tuesday and is a love story told out of order as we see Peter and Vandy go from explosive rows into romantic dinners and back to shouting matches again.

Nominated for a US Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and made into a film starring Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler last year, DiPietro's story has proved a huge success but started from very humble beginnings.

“A few years back I wrote a scene about a man and a woman and had some actors read it," says the playwright.

"After the actors read it, a friend said, "you should keep writing about these characters," and before he could finish the sentence I knew exactly what I would write.

"I would write the story of this couple, Peter and Vandy, and tell it out of sequence and in doing so, make their story that much clearer. "In that moment I saw the scenes – the first I love you – arguing about ordering Chinese food – splitting up – seeing each other on the street.

"But what really excited me was idea of playing these scenes against one another.

"All of the funny inconsistencies and hypocrisies and truths would be emboldened.

"I imagined getting to know this couple intimately and then seeing their first date.

"I imagined seeing them falling in love and then seeing them call each other every name in the book.

"And what’s more I imagined how all of these scenes illuminated each another.

"All of the clues to who they become are there when they fall in love.

"It may feel, at first, like they just go from innocent lovers to grizzled couple but the more you get to know them, the more we see that they are setting up who they become, even in the most romantic of scenes.

"By first seeing their future, we can fully understand what is happening in the past and vice versa.”

Tim Roseman, the joint artistic director of Theatre 503 who also directed last year's This Much is True, takes on the directing duties with Kirsty Bushell and Joseph Chance playing Vandy and Peter.

Bushell's credits include An Inspector Calls in the West End, Be My Baby at Soho Theatre and television appearances in Law and Order, Midsummer Murders and EastEnders.

Chance has been in Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Stafford Castle and appeared in Wallander and Bloody Britain.

Peter and Vandy, Theatre503, The Latchmere Pub, Battersea Park Road, March 2 to 27, 7.45pm (Sundays 5pm), £14. Call 020 7978 7040 or visit theatre503.com.