Sue Lee directs and Kosta Andrea narrates Carne Vale, a story of two men as close as brothers – one, strong, slow and dependable, the other quick-witted, cunning and restless. Together they grow up in the punishingly hard world of medieval Switzerland. At the onset of manhood, however, the latter leaves, returning some years later on the night of the Fasnacht custom. Fasnacht, the programme informs us, is ‘an earthy, frightening knock-the-winter-out archaic happening’. Sounds promising. And there is much to admire in this retelling of the old ‘you-can-never-go-home-again' routine.

Llewellyn Harris, as the strong stay-at-home character, was outstanding and through sheer skill he drew a carefully nuanced character from this grey script. One left the show sincerely hoping to see him in a project worthy of his talent. Similarly, the musical accompaniment provided by Freddy Macha and performed live alongside the actors, was a constantly entertaining and endlessly eccentric addition. It would appear that Mr Macha is very well acquainted with musical instruments that to Western eyes and ears seem strange and wonderful. Yet, despite having all this talent at their disposal, the Sue Lee and Kosta Andrea Theatre Company carved from this admittedly modest story a monument to tedium.