‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’ uses a non linear-narrative to follow a childhood pair during the injuries of their lives – accident prone Douggie’s body bruises as Kayleen mentally deteriorates. It’s rare that a play holds my attention this much. It slowly built up the tension to the point that, when I looked around, the entire audience seemed unblinking and entirely convinced. When the room got too hot it felt rude to disturb anybody by taking my coat off – who was I to disrupt the silence in the room, so masterfully constructed? The acting was superb, rarely overcooked, and the narrative unwrapped the characters excellently. Although there was never any true crescendo to the play, the whole performance was a joy to watch.

Basic Mountain, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Robert Stevens]