Review: The Fall of Man ***

The Fall of Man is an uncompromising and unflinching new production from Red Shift Theatre Company.

Using passages and themes from Milton's Paradise Lost interspersed with scenes of raw drama from the two actors, The Fall of Man explores themes of guilt, lust, betrayal and passion in a site-sensitive performance in the confined space of Pleasance Beside.

The two characters, a successful businessman and the young Croatian nanny he and his wife employ, end up physically and emotionally entangled in a bitter tale which evokes Milton's Adam and Eve: either explicitly through direct out-of-character recited passages; or more successfully and subtly, such as when the actors cover their nakedness with a duvet patterned with leaves and foliage.

Featuring full nudity and depictions of sexual acts, as well as a performance which sees the male lead sitting next to audience members whilst delivering his lines, The Fall of Man is a brave and powerful short piece which hits its mark with accuracy, but may be too intense for some.

The Fall of Man runs until 30th August at the Pleasance Beside. £9.50 (£8 concession)