The Lesson. Burton Taylor Theatre 19-23 Feb 2002

OK, so "The Lesson" is a late show at the BT. And it's French. And the programme is written in rhyming verse, and those august reviewers at Ox Stu. and Cherwell called it "meta-lingual" and "non-logical" respectively. I'm sure you'll appreciate why I prepared myself for a fairly pretentious evening.

Mais non. "The Lesson" was really good, and I raved about it so much in the bar, that a few of my friends might go and see it tomorrow. Firstly it's not actually in French (or neo-Spanish, or Spanish, or Latin etc.) come to that, and its funny. Very funny, in fact, and also very sick, but (rest assured) in a non-gory way.

The play opens with a pupil arriving for her first tutorial with a rather strange professor (Tautology?). The lesson proceeds, making the audience question the art of teaching, and eventually wonder about the nature of learning and knowing, and ultimately, reality. The Don's mental struggle is transferred into a physical struggle in his pupil, and as his frustration increases at her inability to understand, her pain increases, until a frightening climax is reached. The cast play up the comedy to increase the horror, and then revert to the comedy, now very dark indeed, making the audience wonder if we should really be laughing at all. But if this sounds rather too deep for the hour between Hall and last orders, remember, you're in Oxford. If people can't put on challenging plays here where can they put them on? And the play has even more relevance seen against this illustrious background - moments were eerily reminiscent of my weekly tutorials, and I would hazard a guess, yours too.

The directors Ella Kaye and Emma Garner did a great job. As ever with plays set in one place there is little reason for characters to move, yet they must if the audience is to stay awake. The direction was so good that the movement felt natural, and even when the play was at its most stylised the action was believable. It had a balance and symmetry that was nicely unobtrusive but powerful nonetheless. The three actors were all well suited to their parts, and gave excellent performances. Henry Merivale played an archetypal Don, going from nervous and awkward to aggressive and impatient with well-observed ease. Jo MiGinley made a lovely pupil, confident and smiling at first, then deteriorating as the lesson became harder. Her charm contrasted with the naivety of the Don made for most of the early comedy. Hannah Thorpe seemed to be making a good stab at a little cameo, until the very dark end, when her pivotal role was fully recognised. When the play hit its exceptionally sick conclusion, she brought the story round full circle, lightening the mood to prepare the audience for the cyclical conclusion. A quick word about the set - It's clever. I didn't realise how clever until the end, but it's very cool, and well lit - clearly Louise Thomas had no truck with the "lights on at the beginning, off at the end" school of 9.30 BT shows.

It's very hard to explain what makes the story so witty, dark and genuinely thought provoking without giving it away, and spoiling it. Go and see it. It's 45 minutes long, you'll feel much more cultured when you rejoin your friends in the bar afterwards, and it's an amusing, dark, educating experience.

Katherine Knowles