The Collector

Based on the novel by John Fowles, The Collector tells the story of Frederick Clegg, a recent lottery winner who aims to make all his dreams come true by spending his life with the woman he loves, Miranda Grey. The trouble is, she doesn’t know he exists: so he kidnaps her and locks her in the cellar of his new country home in the vain hope of getting to know her better.

The dank stone walls of the Underbelly can perhaps be given some credit in setting the vividly unsettling atmosphere of this thrilling exploration into the mind of a stalker. However, the vast majority must surely be apportioned to the two actors’ staggering performances. Mark Fleischmann’s portrayal of Clegg’s creepy logic and almost unswerving devotion to Miranda is especially absorbing and, by the time The Collector reaches its inevitable conclusion, Clegg is transformed from the timid and unassuming character of the play’s first few minutes into an eerie and repulsive figure of a man – without actually having altered any of his mannerisms.

Unfortunately, the occasional heavy-handed dialogue can encroach on some otherwise bewitching performances. But in a play that’s so fraught with tension, it’s difficult for anything to distract the audience from the mesmerising see-saw of power relations that play out between the kidnapper and his victim. And whether it’s the developing friendship that arises between Clegg and Miranda that captures your attention or the lucid insight we’re given into Clegg’s warped psyche, The Collector is certain to be one of the most satisfyingly sinister plays you’ll see this Fringe.