It’s ironic that John Osborne’s classic drama Look Back in Anger is now as much of a period piece as the “well-made plays” it was attempting to usurp. This work--which revolutionized British theater when it received its 1956 premiere at the Royal Court and popularized the concept of the “angry young man”—can easily come across as a dated relic unless infused with sufficient energy and passion.

Thankfully, those qualities are well evident in the revival presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company. Forcefully and imaginatively staged by Sam Gold and featuring first-rate performances by its four-person ensemble—that’s not a typo, as one minor character has been excised—the production effectively suggests the power that the original must have had, even if it necessarily can’t duplicate it.

The iconoclastic nature of the staging is evident upon entering the theater. Just as its first audiences were supposedly startled by the mere sight on an ironing board on stage, Andrew Lieberman’s set design here is equally arresting. To be technical, there isn’t much of a set. The actors are confined to the lip of the stage, performing in front of stark backdrop with only a few feet of room. The space is littered with a few battered pieces of furniture and much detritus, presenting a stylized spin on the usual realistic depiction of the characters’ squalid living space.

Inhabiting that space, as any drama student will recall, are Jimmy Porter (Matthew Rhys), a well-educated but working class Brit; his long-suffering wife Alison (Sarah Goldberg); and, most of the time, their best friend Cliff (Adam Driver), who acts as mediator when tensions flare.

At this point Jimmy’s railings against a stuffy, conformist society might seem antique. That is, if Occupy Wall Street and the current class warfare afflicting modern politics hadn’t rendered them all too relevant. So, unfortunately, is the depiction of the near abusive, co-dependent relationship between Jimmy and the more refined Alison, which is rendered with emotional sensitivity by Rhys and Goldberg. And the seemingly immediate substitution of Alison’s best friend Helena (Charlotte Parry) in Jimmy’s life after Alison leaves has a nastily ironic aspect that surely influenced Harold Pinter.

The staging is infused with theatrical touches that keep us slightly off-guard, such as the house lights staying on at times and the actors hovering at the sides of the house in full view when they’re offstage.

Ultimately, however, it’s the performances that must carry the work, and the ensemble here doesn’t disappoint. Rhys, making his New York stage debut after five seasons on TV’s soapy Brothers and Sisters, mines Jimmy’s combination of dark humor and angry intensity to great effect, with his Welsh accent recalling Richard Burton, who played the role in the film version. Goldberg, also making her stage debut here, beautifully conveys her character’s complex feelings towards the man she loves. The physically imposing Adam Driver is boisterously entertaining as the good-hearted Cliff, while Charlotte Parry does as well as possible with the more problematical role of Helena.    

Look Back in Anger will never again have the same impact that it must have had upon its premiere. But this production certainly provides a hint of what those lucky audiences at the Royal Court must have felt more than half a century ago.

Laura Pels Theatre, 111 W. 46th St. 212-719-1300. www.roundabouttheatre.org. Through April 8.