Normal

Those seeking an introduction to the writing of Anthony Neilson, whose new play Realism forms part of this year's Edinburgh International Festival programme, should set aside an evening for Normal... if they dare.

The late hour and the slightly claustrophobic setting up near the rafters of the Chambers Street C venue conspire to create a sinister atmosphere even before the audience passes by the shrouded female form just inside the theatre's entrance.

Tim Harcourt plays Justus Wehner, a young lawyer representing Peter Kurten - the infamous Dusseldorf Ripper who was convicted on nine murders and suspected of almost 60 more in the 1930s.

The trial is not to determine Kurten's guilt or innocence - the defendant freely admits to his terrible crimes. Instead, the jury must decide whether he is insane or 'normal'.

A sparse set allows Neilson's provocative script to take centre stage, and Harcourt's transformation from innocent young lawyer to traumatised wreck is a convincing one. If Peter Kurten can be considered normal, then is he, too, capable of murder?

Daniel O'Neill's Kurten strikes the perfect balance between charming conversationalist and unrepentant monster, and Holly Hardy completes the cast as Kurten's enigmatic wife.

A genuinely chilling production of an endlessly thought-provoking play.