BRYONY Lavery’s play may be exploring grisly, familiar territory, but it is looking more for insight than cheap thrills.

A serial killer of young girls, the mother of one of his victims, and a psychological researcher meet.

NEIL GWYNNE is energetic throughout as Ralph, but his performance really comes alive in the second half, just as his character begins to understand the damage to his brain, explained to him by visiting academic Agnetha (GEORGETTE ELLISON), who has lost a beloved colleague and starts the drama with a cry of anguish, which seems to represent its troubled, intelligent, uncertain heart. Straight after that Ralph is faced by Nancy (TRISH QUINLAN), who has come to forgive the man who took her daughter, if only to ease her own pain. Their meeting is another extraordinary moment in this production, of which director PAUL GREEN and fully stretched cast and crew can be proud.