Love and death unite to form an unforgettable wedding. Petra has, improbably, fallen for Lindow Man in this dark confessional monologue detailing her life and her new love. With a mostly blank canvas of a stage (only a dirt circle), it’s a spellbinding piece, with Maddie White as the visual focal point, hypnotising us with her captivating performance, taking us with her into the marshes. The tight script written by Jen Tucker beautifully tackles its themes of grief, love and death, and is vividly detailed, and at times humorous, but perhaps handles too many plot lines for its short running time, leaving the audience with many elements left unresolved. Yet, I have to say, it was dead captivating.

Paradise in The Vault, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andrew Melrose]