Or anyone, for that matter!

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Yet love, above all else, can change our perception of time immeasurably.

In HotHouse Theatre's spellbinding, season opener in Wodonga of Those Who Fall in Love Like Anchors Dropped Upon the Ocean Floor, Parisian watchmaker Alain (Nick Steain) outlines - with a charming French accent to boot - how a few seconds in time can alter the course of a relationship or even the whole of human history.

A watch set a little too fast or a little too slow can be a liability in the world and influences how well one is regarded by others.

Being consistently late - without maybe even knowing it - breeds underlying resentment among others, long-term.

The watchmaker delivers his timely points as he knots long lengths of rope, which form the genius set by homegrown designer Sophie Woodward (Melbourne Theatre Company, Red Stitch and HotHouse Theatre).

Those Who Fall in Love Like Anchors Dropped Upon the Ocean Floor, by award-winning playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer, follows 10 characters as they navigate the moment when they fall in and out of love through four, intertwining stories.

The play moves from a Cold War Russian submarine to a Parisian watch shop to an Appalachian snowfield to an awkward first date in a Chinese restaurant to a girl sitting in her car in the rain spying on another.

Together with Steain, Grace Rouvray (creator of Netflix series 600 Bottles of Wine) and Rachel McNamara (last seen in Celsius Independent Theatre's sellout Rabbit Hole) round out the homegrown talent expertly breathing life into these fascinating characters under the intelligent direction of Karla Conway.

They cleverly manipulate the sea of rope to shift scenes, all as they seamlessly switch accents.

The uncomfortable first date between Kirsty (Rouvray) and Brian (Steain) is as unnerving to watch as it is deliciously, hilarious!

Terri Case (McNamara) gives the Appalachian snowfield scenes huge heart and high humour.

Anchors explores fleeting moments, freak encounters and second chances.

Sliding Doors-like, it is a rich study in that split-second moment of "what if".

Those Who Fall in Love Like Anchors Dropped Upon the Ocean Floor was first performed at the Blue Room Theatre in Perth in late 2014.

Set your watch now to avoid missing it this time!

The show runs at the Butter Factory Theatre until March 27. Limited tickets are available for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday shows at 8pm; Wednesday's show is booked out; and Saturday's 3pm matinees today and March 27 have availability.

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