Phèdre

The Ancient Greek hero Thesues was known for his acts of bravery - slaying minotaurs, besting baddies; all the usual Hellenic high jinks - but also for the trail of devastated beauties he left in his wake. A sexual adventurer from the love-em-and-leave 'em mould, there's a certain irony to the fact that he ended up marrying Phèdre, the sister of one of the women he betrayed. It's a small but not insignificant detail, because what happens to Phèdre and Theseus next feels very much like it might be payback: Phèdre is beset by an all-consuming obsession with her stepson, Hippolytus. The play picks up at the point when she finally confesses her demented love, having contained it for years, and in doing so sets in motion a chain of events that leaves just about everybody screwed. Catherine McClements is outstanding as the brittle, increasingly depraved Phèdre, while Marco Chiappi's Theseus, when he turns up, is convincingly charismatic. The younger actors don't equal the more established cast members, but the odd dodgy line is made up for by haunting set and sound design. It's a fantastic story, and Ted Hugh's incisive translation foregrounds themes of taboo female sexuality and the universal capacity for self-delusion. Despite being an Ancient Greek tragedy told by 17th-century French playwright Jean Racine, it feels distinctly modern.

Malthouse Theatres to Sunday 2 June