Tone Clusters

The parents of a young man accused of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl come under scrutiny in Tone Clusters, a compelling piece of drama by Joyce Carol Oates.

Initially produced in 2003 by Neil Doherty, as a result of his Arches Award for Stage Directors, this unsettling production combines great performances with deceptively simple digital visuals to memorable effect.

A disembodied voice asks a series of increasingly bamboozling questions of the couple, whose apparently unshakeable belief in their son's innocence isn't enough to prevent them from inadvertantly incriminating him.

Benny Young and Deirdre Murray give utterly convincing performances as the God-fearing, pro-death penalty parents who find their lives destroyed one spring day when the body of a missing neighbour is discovered in their basement.

As circumstantial evidence mounts they find themselves ostracised by the community, and trapped in a futureless limbo.

While there's no doubting the quality of this piece of work, the £12.50 ticket price may well deter those browsing through the Traverse brochure, which features full-length productions for just a few pounds more.

It's a shame that Tone Clusters isn't playing alongside The Arches' other two Fringe offerings (The Factory and Beckett Double Bill) at the Underbelly, with tickets for under a tenner.