There was a terrifying film they used to make us watch once a year at school, warning about the danger of talking to strangers. It used to give me nightmares, but it stopped me talking to strangers. Bryony Lavery's play explores the awful consequences of ignoring such advice.
Nancy has never given up hope that her missing daughter will return. Yet her optimism is extinguished in the cruellest possible way when the remains of several young girls are discovered buried in the vicinity. Lavery brilliantly balances Nancy's raw, emotional response against the cool, pathological concerns of Agnetha, a leading criminal psychologist brought in to examine the case. And she adds a third voice, that of the killer himself, whose own childhood incorporates a history of trauma and abuse.
First produced in 1998, the play was based on research into the crimes of Fred and Rosemary West, and the Tyneside serial killer Robert Black. Yet the issues remain disturbingly prescient.
Sarah Punshon's spare, arresting production delivers three performances of stunning conviction. Kate Layden explores every nuance of Nancy's journey from anguish to acceptance. Marilyn Cutts is entirely credible as a highly strung expert in the criminal mind. Most impressive of all, David Tarkenter accomplishes the task of convincing you that the killer is not evil, but unwell.
It is the business of great drama to take you places; Lavery's play touches greatness by taking you to the edge of the unimaginable.
· In rep until November 4. Box office: 017687 74411.
