The Thelmas (writer Madeleine Gould and director Madeleine Moore) offer this unique take on the #metoo movement in this monologue starring Hannah McClean. When we meet Her she has just murdered a woman in the hotel room she was cleaning. She can explain, this woman came at her, made accusations and it was clearly in self defence.

Or was it? Her soon reveals her obsession with murder, playing the victim card because society sees all women as victims, carers and incapable of committing murder. When women do commit murder it must be provoked, the last resort. For her murder is all she thinks about. She even volunteers at the Samaritans to get an understanding of how trauma victims sound. She isn’t a psychopath, just a perfectly normal member of society who acts on the thoughts we all have.

Ladykiller could easily be another play taking advantage to audiences taste for the macabre (I love true crime and can often be found watching many trash crime documentary) but it is much deeper. When she asks why women are scared to report on people who victimise them she asks a much bigger question; why don’t victims just kill their perpetrator. Whilst the focus is on women as victims in society in the light of #metoo and #timesup it is an interesting response to the internalised anger women go through and the expectations that men externalise it.

For me, it is one of the finest monologues I have seen. The monologue is a difficult genre, at times feeling only suitable for drama auditions but this is a strong and coherent production about a woman conveying her feelings, to herself, maybe to her audience.  McClean is perfect as Her, with her cheeky grin and affability which barely mask the contempt and anger she has for society and her own interest in death after life.

Ladykiller is on until 3 March https://vaultfestival.com/whats-on/ladykiller/