THE Marquis De Monfort is not just angry, he is VERY angry.
The only problem, and it could be considered a very big one, is that you're never quite sure why.
De Monfort, penned by largely forgotten Georgian female playwright Joanna Baillie and directed by Imogen Bond, is the penultimate play in the Orange Tree's Female Playwrights' season.
Written in 1798 and set in the Bavarian town of Amberg, it was part of a series of plays in which Baillie intended to explore the human passions.
The passion in this case is hatred and her case study is the eponymous anti-hero.
From the opening scene we can clearly see De Monfort, played with aplomb by Justin Avoth, is upset with something.
As the plot unfolds we learn the cause of his pain - his irrational and unexplained hatred of fellow nobleman Rezenvelt.
Despite the best efforts of De Monfort's friends, his sister Jane and Rezenvelt himself, he just cannot seem to shake it off.
So when rumours romantically linking Rezenvelt and Jane reach De Monfort's ears, there's really only one way this play can end.
The flaw with De Monfort is that our understanding of the psyche has come a long way since the late 1700s.
Modern pop-psych' demands that emotions on the scale of De Monfort's hatred for Rezenvelt have a cause.
And so in its absence, the Freudian in you ends up having a field day.
Was he abused as a child? Does he secretly love Rezenvelt?
However, the play has several redeeming features.
There are some excellent performances, particularly from Avoth in the lead role and David Gooderson as the shuffling old landlord Jerome.
And the simplicity of the set means you have no choice but to become totally immersed in Baillie's poetic dialogue.
But in some ways, the intimate surroundings of the Orange Tree are ill-suited to a play which, despite the best efforts of those involved, was clearly not intended to be subtle.
To book tickets call the box office on 020 8940 3633 or visit www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk
