That the thought of spending two hours in a dark, warm room in Pembroke filled me with dread is testament to the soul-crushing effects of clear-up after Pembroke bop. Luckily I was greeted by four schoolgirls on stage, gossiping intently while a copy of The Joy of Gay Sex lay open on the floor. Though lots of plays in Cambridge have used the device of an onstage cast as the audience walks in, this was particularly well done: distinct absorbing dialogues between the girls immediately drew you in. The play is full of unassuming little details, like the way Evelyn and Peggy eavesdrop at the door, indicative of the care that has gone into making The Children’s Hour a brilliant piece of theatre.

With its themes highly pertinent to the start of LGBT history month, the play offers a probing look into what people are willing to believe, to say and to do, and was well suited to New Cellars. The same set was used for a variety of different scenes and proved very effective in making everything seem a bit distant: it didn’t matter where the characters were, they were dealing with everything that had been said in a single room. 

The play itself draws all its strength from its characters, and fortunately it is impeccably cast. Each actor conveyed adeptly just how their characters were trapped in their own fears and uncertainties. Given how well the cast worked together, each could merit a special mention, but I was particularly drawn to three. Georgina Letts as Mary was, in the best possible way, Eric Cartman come to life, skillfully showing how easily she could manipulate others while remaining an enigma for the fascinated audience. I also really loved Rebecca Thomas as Evelyn, who was great at being funny and cutting while at the same time clearly vulnerable and unsure what to do. However, special mention must go to Clara Strandhoj, who, alongside Joanna Clarke, drives the story. I was continually astonished at just how she managed to balance Karen’s desire to maintain control with her fear about what was going to happen. Her performance in the second half of the play is formidable.

Of course the production wasn’t perfect, and there were certainly a few things that could do with a bit of tweaking. Though the accents were generally well held, there was also the odd moment of slippage up to Leeds. It was a shame that some of the comic lines didn’t quite come across. But these are minor quibbles, and do little to detract from a brilliant performance. The show is already sold out on Saturday: book while you can.