Developed out of extensive research into female killers, this one-woman show is written and performed by Lucy Roslyn and is hauntingly effective. In this Texas prison cell, this complex character ricochets between extremes, between John and Elyese, as we delve into the interior life she won’t reveal to the courts or the psychiatrists, drawing ever closer to horrible truths borne of lifelong exposure to violence and the desperation to conform to societal norms.
And it offers a stark picture of female prison life as she caricatures the other people in her life, the men that visit her, the prisoners that become her lovers – who all want her to be John for them – layering up the multifaceted mental complexity of our protagonist. And naturally, it leaves that complexity for us to ponder, how much of the truth are we being told here and for someone this psychologically riven, what even is her truth. Intriguing and interesting.
Running time: 60 minutes (without interval)
Booking until 22nd November