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Press Reviews

 

Effie’s Burning by Valerie Windsor

Roy Martin
The Stage 01/04/04

With no polemics, Valerie Windsor’s two-hander throws a searching light on the world of the mentally ill.

Effie, who has been in institutions since adolescence, has become an arsonist after being moved out into the community. Her doctor is preparing a report on her and in the course of conversations, which have some humorous moments, tries to uncover her disturbed past.

The two actresses have performed the play in a previous production and they bring high definition to it.

Under Mark Holliday’s gimmick-free direction, Lin Blakley vividly conveys Effie’s isolation and as Dr Kovacs, Gerri Farrell forcefully suggests the professional frustration of her job.

The production is the calling card of a locally-based company which plans to concentrate on challenging drama – it is a very encouraging debut.