Rapturously anguished ... Toby Dantzic in Cleansed at the Arcola. Photograph: Tristram Kenton
Why do certain actors stir a reaction that lasts long after you leave the theatre? I'm not talking about technical brilliance, but about acting magic: the kind of talent that, once seen, has you in thrall.
The young cast of Cleansed at the Arcola all give excellent performances, so it seems slightly unfair to single out one actor, but I'm going to anyway.
In the role of Carl, Toby Dantzic brings home the primal shock of Sarah Kane's play. A kind of male equivalent to Lavina in Titus Andronicus, Carl is a difficult part to bring off, and one that could easily capsize into absurdity. When we first meet the character he's in the slightly irritating flush of first love, naively protesting his devotion to his boyfriend. Carl subsquently betrays his lover and undergoes a rapid succession of cruelties, as his tongue, hands, legs, and finally his genitals get lopped off.
Dantzic's rapturously anguished performance works on you like water-torture: the actor's body keeps registering the aftershocks of violence with the tiniest of shivers.
Then there's Mariah Gale. I had my first sighting of her when she played a messed-up teenager in a fringe production a few years back. It was a tantalizingly good performance. Since then, with her Viola in Twelfth Night at the Open Air Theatre and her Hero in Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe, Gale's proved that she can tackle Shakespeare on big stages.
There's an ardent, exhilaratingly reckless quality to her acting -a startling truthfulness that eludes more polished performers. This actress has a knack for unzipping her characters' hearts, giving herself over so completely to the part she's playing that you can't help but believe every word she says.
After winning plaudits in the role of Annabella in 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore at the Southwark Playhouse last month, Gale was hotly tipped for this year's Evening Standard Best Newcomer Award. Which young stage actors do you think are going places - possibly right to the top - and why?
Maxie Szalwinska writes Fringe Benefits, Guardian Unlimited's fortnightly despatch from the parts of the theatre scene most critics do not reach. Your suggestions for shows to see are welcomed.
