George Mann has brought a hugely impressive range of theatrical skills to this performance. He has a particularly fine voice, not unlike Patrick Stewart’s in moments of grandeur, and there are perhaps more occasions when he could afford to let it speak for itself, unadorned by additional effects. It was good to see so many young people in last night’s audience, transfixed by this most ancient of tales. This is a triumphant piece of story-telling; a breath-taking kaleidoscope of words, movement and sounds

Lois Mackie’s portrayal of a likeable young woman driven to desperation is very moving, charting with great precision Clem’s gradual loss of control over her own life. At fourteen this was a girl who vowed she would never have children. Now, at thirty, she hates herself for having fallen victim to the primitive, instinctive drive to reproduce. She has just broken through the glass ceiling at work, yet she is beginning to see herself as a failure.