Today's review. Just the one, sadly. Versus the original 300 words.

Terminus is an extraordinarily seductive play. Written in what must be pretty close to rhyming couplets, the script is initially almost irritating in its self-indulgence but by the end of the piece, close to magnificent.

The story is told through a series of monologues from three characters. Revealing very much of their back story would spoil the surprise but each is, in essence, lonely and looking for a way out.

Their ensuing antics are entertainingly recounted by a talented cast. Andrea Irvine is the endearingly practical mother. Eileen Walsh is by turns, coy and then daring, closed and then painfully open to possibility. Karl Shiels is impressively charismatic, presenting the least sympathetic of the three characters but managing to retain the audience’s sympathy throughout his increasingly gory exploits.

Each character’s isolation is beautifully realised with a stark but striking set. A huge picture frame surrounds the action with shards of mirrored glass reflecting the characters’ fragmented lives. The static staging places a weighty burden on the shoulders of both text and actors. Both rise to the challenge though it would be interesting to see whether more movement might have provided a more for the audience to engage with.

This is an author / director and a group of actors who know how to have fun with words. The actors use their mastery of the script to present a tale which, even at its bloodiest, is still strangely charming. The language lulls you into believing in an increasingly fanciful, even surreal storyline as it unfolds and enjoys the humour (how many words can you make rhyme with honey?) as it skips through the twists and turns of the plot.

Terminus is a beautifully told and compellingly recounted tale of three misfits who just want to fit in. A magic piece of theatre.