William Mastrosimone's story of a victim who captures and tortures her would-be rapist is done justice by American Festival Theatre. Liane Le Master, in the central role, crosses and re-crosses the line that divides circumstantial compulsion and psychotic revenge. Christopher Burns's attacker,, trussed up, exploits and orchestrates his intended prey and her house-mates with disturbing skill. The play's major problem is that even the defeat of a sex-fiend is given a misogynistic slant. Nor is this production helped by Louise Bedford's English tones, which in this context sound like a caricature of a church social worker.
Written for The Independent.
Copyright © Ian Shuttleworth; all rights reserved.
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