Carolyn Lloyd-Davies' new play, ‘Silent on the Matter' is anything but. Except that far from dragging the audience through a deafening polemic about gender foeticide, she places us at the heart of a very human story about a young woman up against the barricades of family ambition, cultural expectations and shovelfuls of gender stereotyping.

In coming to terms with her own life choices and those she makes on behalf of her unborn daughter, central character Alisha rattles assumptions on all sides. This is less a story of right and wrong than it is of questionable values grinding against each other, exposing uncomfortable home truths all round. Lloyd-Davis offers us a final judgement which does deliver a moral victory but in the fall out she deflates any fanciful notion that West knows best. At a time of such forensic examination in both countries of what it means to be an Indian woman, British or both, Lloyd-Davies lays bare a profoundly human issue that asks difficult questions of each culture and character in turn.

Under David Travaskis's assured direction, the story moves deftly between Alisha's journey and the counter narrative of lawyer friend Kate as she grapples with the intractability of a culture she doesn't understand. Bhavnisha Parmar delivers a heart stopping central performance as Alisha supported by Ashraf Ejjbair as husband Kaalindi, caught between the tectonic plates of family expectation and his moral disorientation in a foreign English culture. Garry Manion adds levity as Kate's cricket loving partner Richard and Sakuntala Ramanee's pin sharp performance as Kaalindi's mother Indra cuts razor sharp wit and incisiveness through the ensemble scenes that brings both comedy and sadness.

‘Silent on the Matter' is a co-production between sibling theatre companies ‘Acting for Change' and ‘Living the Drama' and is well worth a look. Go and see.

I can often find theatre disappointing, but when it's good it's amazing, and that was true of this production. The story is shocking, thought provoking and challenging ... but not without humour. We are all shaped by our context and culture, and who is to say who is "right"? As one of the characters says at the end, when you are sure you are right, you are probably wrong. The acting was wonderfully real, pitch perfect.

The harrowing subject matter of this play was made accessible by its utterly believable script and brilliant acting. It was also witty and liberally sprinkled with quotable lines and I think this lightness was the key to its persuasive power. We keep in step with Alisha as she finds herself unable to resist extreme pressure to conform to her relatives' demands and we understand her disappointment at her own weakness. Her white best friend seems to be on her side, but her (the friend's) self-righteousness is a further source of bullying. For me, the masterstroke was in not demonising the other characters. Our sympathies are naturally with Alisha but we also appreciate the cultural constraints on the people who were pressurising her and, ultimately, we are invited to sympathise with all of their predicaments. The love between Alisha and her husband (sensitively portrayed by Ashraf Ejjbair) is flawed but it seems real. Cultural snobbery is cleverly exposed from both Indian and white British perspectives. I came away feeling that I understood myself a little better.

This was a really thought provoking play highlighting the fears and threats faced by anyone brave enough to resist the pressures exerted by the in-law family. It is a sad irony that the case could not be prosecuted merely on the word of the victim, who is often an isolated and vulnerable female in the midst of a controlling and sometimes brutal and hostile family. Getting witnesses is frequently well nigh impossible in such situations.

I thought all the actors were very good. Alisha was outstanding. Her plight was completely believable and her manipulative domineering mother in law, Indra, was a type familiar and authentic for those who know the cultural milieu. I also felt that Kate was a very strong actor whose timing and reactions were very natural.

Overall, I cannot imagine anyone finding this play dull, or not finding themselves fully engaged. All the scenes were tight and well paced so there was no time for any lapse of involvement on the part of the audience. I think everyone in the theatre came out feeling that they had seen something very special.

'Silent on the Matter tells the harrowing story of female foeticide within an educated middle class, arranged marriage, 2nd generation Indian family in Birmingham'. This sounds like a recipe for an experience marginally worse than having your back teeth removed. But it deals with the contrasting cultures and expectations of Hindu India and modern ‘enlightened' liberal England with such delicacy, understanding and wit that I was mesmerised and am still reflecting on its paradoxes and implications. It is superbly written and very moving.

A truly wonderful play. Gripping from start to finish. The writing is highly sophisticated and subtle - all the roles are shown in a sympathetic light which leads to a deeper understanding of a very controversial and challenging subject. Terrific acting and directing. Highly recommended.