David Hare's The Absence of War goes some way to lifting the lid on the internal workings of an election campaign as well as a struggling party leader's mind.

Labour Party leader George Jones (Reece Dinsdale) is a tortured soul, effectively bound and gagged after a faux pas in the public eye some years earlier.

Molly-coddled by his private team, particularly his overbearing adviser Oliver Dix (Cyril Nri), George is obviously flamboyant, eccentric but misunderstood by the electorate.

Dinsdale does get the charisma of his character across well but George is a frustrating PM-in-waiting to watch, constantly falling into traps and stumbling.

Although the play is set in 1992, the parallels with today's campaign are there to see and similarities can be drawn between George and current Labour leader Ed Miliband.

He might be dynamic and capable but convincing the British public of that is another matter altogether.

Directed by Jeremy Herrin, The Absence of War uses lighting to maximum effect, with an imposing Labour-red screen dominating the set, reducing the actors to shadows.

It is an insight into the mind of a man cracking under the pressure of the biggest challenge in a politician's career.

The Absence of War is well-scripted, well directed and, most important of all, as relevant today as it was 23 years ago.

See The Absence of War at Kingston's Rose Theatre before it ends on April 25. Visit rosetheatrekingston.org for ticket information and details.