The recession is biting hard so Emily and Oliver have decided to downsize and shift their middle-class London lifestyle to a small town in the north of England. They want to live, work and raise their two young children in a friendly community, among what Emily terms 'real people', away from the cold anonymity of the city.

These left-leaning, well-educated people have invited over two of their new neighbours in an attempt to break the ice. Tonight Alan and Dawn will be offered olives and anchovies and are introduced to Karl Marx and abstract art.

As classes and outlooks collide, the scene is set for a rendezvous with consequences as hilarious as they are tragic.