Currently creating a mini-media cyclone of increasing scale, Gary Owen’s award-winning play uses Greek myth to influence a superbly raw and vivid modern-day tale of drink, drugs and daily drama. These are the terraced lanes of South Cardiff, not the mythic mountains of Greece. We meet Effie whose life of drink fuelled monotony is changed with a chance encounter, yet her story devastatingly evokes the eponymous Greek king’s daughter who was sacrificed at the feet of a bloodthirsty society. Coming straight from the National Theatre, this production’s starkness, economy, directness and fearlessness are pointers towards the strong state of contemporary theatre in the UK right now. Glaringly current and relevant, Effie’s monologue will grip and grab at you, featuring a fearless and commanding performance from Sophie Melville.

Tue 15 Mar – Sat 19 Mar, The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP. Tel: 0121 236 4455. 8pm (and 2.30pm matinee Sat 19 Mar). £13.50 See: www.birmingham-rep.co.uk