Once internationally famous, but almost totally neglected for over 300 years, The Spanish Tragedie has enjoyed a recent revival. This new production of Kyd’s play by Rabid Monkey and the Oriel Lions takes the opportunity to explore the central dark dilemma, how to explain and rationalise its murderous and bleakly hopeless climax. The plot revolves around the murder of a young solider, Horatio, and the successful efforts by his father Hieronimo, to exact bloody revenge on his killers. Director Will Maynard proposes the interesting idea that the death of Horatio is a trigger to latent mental illness, fed by the actions of other characters. The scene where an old man petitions for justice over his own murdered son, is one of several exploited to show events fuelling Hieronimo’s murderous paranoia. Additionally, multiple parts for some actors such as David Coghill’s neat changes between King, Fate and Old Man, emphasise his confusion.

As interesting as this directorial idea is, it does occasionally feel like an unnecessary overlay on to a production which has notable organic strengths. The play is often considered to prefer action and blood above poetry, but the whole cast relish Kyd’s language and make much of it, with lovely diction and thoughtful attention to the rhythm of their speeches. The play also has sexless casting, with men portraying women and vice-versa, and Kate Lewin as Hieronimo and Rob Hoarne Nairne as Bel-Imperia both excel while playing against their sex. James Corrigan (pictured) also stands out, giving Lorenzo the exquisite malignity of a mouldy peach, infecting all of those in contact with him. One minor fault was the overly stylised stalking mannerisms and walks of the Fates, which at times seemed comic rather than terrifying.

Any small reservations are swept aside, though, by the confidence and intelligence of this new version, which offers both a fresh take on the play and its driving bloodlust, and some very good central performances.