From the moment it manically begins, Les Parents Terribles never loses pace or energy. The audience is kept in a state fluctuating between amusement and near-revulsion, unable to relax for a moment as this tangled tale of deception and disturbed relationships unravels.

I cannot commend the cast enough: all played their roles wonderfully, with the nuance needed to deal with the rapid switches between comedy and unnervingly dark melodrama. Particular praise should go to Yasmin Freeman as the disturbed and delirious Yvonne: her delivery was flawless both in her passionate outbursts and moments of fragile reserve. Although we occasionally lost a few of Georges (Raph Wakefield)'s lines when he was at his most distressed, this was a minor fault in what was otherwise a very mature and convincing portrayal of a desperate, ageing father. The rapport between characters was also incredibly well-maintained throughout, from the disturbing emotional and physical closeness of Yvonne and her son Michel (Jamie Armitage), to his sickeningly sweet relationship with Madeleine (Kay Dent), to her fraught and intense interaction with Georges. Meanwhile, Ella Konzon had a wonderful composure as the ever-present, ever-lurking Léo. Indeed, high praise should go to George Kan and Olivia Morgan for near-flawless direction.

However, like the empty frames adorning the walls of Phoebe Hill’s well-conceived set, it felt as though all of this wonderfully creative work gilded a slightly empty script. Though at moments deliciously and darkly comic, and at others genuinely touching, there was an overall lack in variation in the pace of the piece. This polished production was exhausting to watch, and its impressive retention of energy became almost a flaw. A few more moments of calm would have rendered this play’s decadent storm all the more powerful.

Les Parents Terribles is beautifully produced down to its costumes (credit to Agnes Cameron for wonderful attention to detail), lighting, and perfectly-selected music. Apart from some awkwardly long scene changes, every aspect of the production was carefully attended to in an impressive creative endeavour. Les Parents Terribles, despite lacking something as a script, becomes engaging and daring in this bold adaptation, and is well worth attending for its polish and panache.