THEATRE / Weldon Rising - Royal Court Upstairs, London SW1

Jimmy (Paul Viragh) is dead, casually butchered in the middle of New York's meat market area. Jimmy's lonely death is witnessed by Natty Weldon (Simon Gregor), his gay lover of 15 years, two lesbians (Melee Hutton and Rosie Rowell) watching from their apartment window and Marcel, a transvestite (Andrew Woodall) - all too paralysed by fear to do anything to help the dying man. The corrosive power of fear - the way it emotionally cripples and spiritually isolates - is the theme of Phyllis Nagy's stunning debut, a bitterly funny and chillingly surreal look at the soulless poverty of urban life. Afraid of being hurt or dying, but lacking the courage to really live their lives to the full, Nagy's characters are butterflies with clipped wings. But Jimmy's death brings about a change. Eaten up by guilt and consumed by the city's heatwave, the four witnesses rerun the death of Jimmy, eventually achieving a catharsis that has a thrilling, almost religious, intensity. It's daring stuff, written with an understanding for the subtle power and violence of language and exhilaratingly acted and directed by Penny Ciniewicz.

Continues to 19 Dec (071-730 2554). There is an extra perf on Fri 18 Dec at 9.30pm.