A new play by American playwright Neil LaBute, In A Forest, Dark And Deep tells the story of a sibling rivalry which takes you to some very dark and nasty corners which you certainly don’t see coming. All throughout the play (over an hour and a half straight with no interval) there are some serious dark undertones (encouraged by the storm raging on set) which keeps you on edge as you wonder where Neil is taking you. Olivia Williams is Betty who is packing up her “holiday home”. She calls her brother, Bobby (Matthew Fox) to help her out. Only, he can’t quite understand why he has called her – they have never got along and even with the first few words they are soon bickering and arguing. She is a college dean, an intellectual, settled, with children. He is a sexist carpenter anti-intellectual. As the play moves on slowly slowly secrets, dark secrets, of immorality and hidden desires are revealed.

The play is at once intriguing and uncomfortable. Because of the subject matter and the intensity of the performances, credit to Matthew Fox and Olivia Williams for delivering a very engaging performances, and because we were right in their vision it almost felt like you were a dirty little voyeur, or at best a third wheel on a very involved date. I’m not sure I walked out of the play liking either character, which happens when you play along the edges of morality, but I did walk out liking both of the actors. The best parts of this dark disturbing play.