ROME – The English Theatre of Rome does justice to Bryony Lavery’s script, producing an unnerving exploration of the human condition.

Frozen charts the lives of two characters following the disappearance of a young girl: that of her mother and that of her abductor. A third character, a psychiatrist, neatly ties into a thought-provoking tale tackling themes of loss, love and forgiveness.

Directed by Douglas Dean and produced by Gaby Ford, this interpretation of Lavery’s work is intense to say the least. The intimate setting of Teatro l’Arciliuto amplifies the force of the cast’s performances, heightening the emotions expressed about such a sensitive topic. Moreover, a series of striking juxtapositions lends the play a piercing, eerie nature: the comedy littered throughout the script in contrast to the chilling subject matter; the psychiatrist’s calm professional exterior versus her personal, internal trouble; the humanity of the mother versus the depravity of her daughter’s killer.

It should be made clear that the production does require concentration from its audience, particularly at the beginning when the play flits between monologues showing the different characters’ points of view. However, this jolting back and forth builds up momentum so that before long the performance becomes mesmerising.

As regards the cast’s performances, credit is due to Christian Grant for her ability to oscillate between emotions in her powerful portrayal of grief-ridden Nancy. Daniel Roy Connelly’s strengths lie in the convincing nature of his interpretation of Ralph, convincing to the point at which the audience begins to comprehend the killer's twisted point of view. Unfortunately, the characterisation of psychiatrist Agnetha felt somewhat slow, but this appeared to be an issue of the script rather than any fault of Alashiya Gordes herself.

One could perhaps criticise the lighting and sound effects, which at times seemed ever so slightly out of sync; this was presumably the result of first-night nerves. In reality, however, this is a no-frills production in which everything other than the acting itself seems virtually insignificant. One could even argue that lavish aesthetics or suchlike would have detracted from the vigour of the performance. Sometimes, simplicity is best.

All in all, Frozen is certainly worth seeing: it is clear in its objectives and emphasises the importance of good, quality acting.

Frozen will be performed at Teatro l’Arciliuto, Piazza Montevecchio 5, at the following times: Sunday 3 May at 5pm; Wednesday 6 May at 8pm; Thursday 7 May at 8pm; Sunday 10 May at 5pm and 8pm. Tickets cost 15 euros, concessions 12 euros. For tickets and other information, email rometheatre@yahoo.com or call 06.6879419.