Philip Ridley has become a past master in the portrayal of psychopaths. His latest is the eponymous Donny Stixx, a mummy's boy with barely hidden issues.
From early days, Donny seems to have struggled to make friends. He sees his presence before an audience as a chance to tells us about his skills as a magician and the problems that his assistant causes due to her lack of showmanship. In this, he is sadly deluded.
His delivery is very strange, since the lad played with wonderful commitment by Sean Michael Verey under the direction of David Mercatali has trouble in keeping his temper in check.
This means that we know of his murderous tendencies from the beginning, although the full story only emerges to cap the 75-minute performance.
Ultimately, the storytelling feels familiar from Ridley’s earlier work, while this production will be remembered for what could be an award-winning performance by Sean Michael Verey.