HEREFORD’S newest theatre company, Exit Fool Productions, on the evidence of its first production, the UK premiere of Angel by Jo Davidsmeyer, has arrived in some style and with not a little substance.

The Angel of the title is Irma Grese, a real-life Nazi war criminal, tried and hanged by the British for her crimes in Ravensbruck and Auschwitz - the play, subtitled A Nightmare in Two Acts, opens in the court room where Grese is on trial, dubbed The Angel of Auschwitz by the international press, initially denying every accusation of cruelty, feigning ignorance of her true role. On either side of her are her sister, Helene, defending the sister she thinks she knows, and Auschwitz survivor Olga Lengyel offering a catalogue of Grese’s crimes. Sliding and sidling around Irma, underlining the evil, is Joseph Mengele with whom she was said to have had a love affair.

As the trial progresses, the British prosecutor is seduced by Grese’s charms and the second act sees him hurled into a nightmare of his own making, his subconscious asking profoundly uncomfortable questions about personal responsibility and collective guilt and taking Grese’s place as the accused.

This was a powerful debut from a new company, the acting of all six principals bringing conviction and veracity to the piece, ensuring that the audience was gripped from start to finish. Charlotte Thorne caught the insouciant self-absorption of Irma perfectly, ensuring that her occasional eruptions had the power to surprise, and Katy Dalton maintained Helene’s pained bafflement and emphatic denial throughout the first act, switching to her role of flirtatious death with ease in the second.

As Olga Lengyel, Lyndsay Maples again proved how talented she is, with a beautifully judged performance, and the three male actors, Ian Smith, Pete Bird and Dave Thomas were impressively well cast, with Ian Smith providing moments of light relief amidst the darkness with his camp portrayal of Mengele.

Jo Davidsmeyer has written a very cleverly constructed play that needs deft direction to ensure clarity and Antony Jenkins certainly proved that he had the necessary grasp of the material and the staging.

The only false note, but one that can’t be ignored, was the replacement of every instance of a w with a v, which at best was slightly irritating and at worst, a distraction, to provide a realistic German accent. Lydnsay Maples eschewed the habit without in any way lessening the sense of her character’s identity. But this is to carp. Exit Fool Productions is clearly a company to watch and I’m already eagerly anticipating their next outing.

Angel is at The Courtyard tonight, Friday, October 14 at 7.45. To book, call the box office on 01432 340555.