Moonshadow

The moon and madness may sound like an overworked theme, but Steve Hennessy, who has written extensively about mental health issues, manages to bring a fresh angle to it here. John is prone to bouts of religious mania and violence, but his main obsession is getting to the coast to see 1999's total eclipse. As his fixation grows, it draws in his doctors and the 'sexually unihibited' abuse victim Judy. If this sounds grim, it isn't. Hennessy's play is concerned with roles of authority and subservience, but also the bits in between and outside: scenes are brief and episodic, as the ground shifts between the characters. The mattress-like padding of the set, studded with bright constellations of nail-heads, suggests both incarceration and the freedom and security of childhood bedrooms. As John astrally projects his way to Cornwall, a landscape haunted by horrors from his growing up, these realms overlap. Among four really excellent actors, Michael Dylan stands out as fragile, maniacal John. But it's Beverley Longhurst as Lucy - a quizzical health professional who initially seems like the very font of rationality, but ultimately occupies the most morally questionable role of the four - who brings an extra dimension.