A COLLECTION of unblinking portraits of what lurks beneath the surface of ordinary people in modern society can be seen when Peppermint Muse Theatre Company stages Bash by Neil LaBute next week.

The modern classic, which was first performed in 1999 with a cast which included Calista Flockhart of Ally McBeal fame, generated extreme reactions particularly from the Mormon Church who were up in arms about the references made that all the characters were church members.

Controversy and extreme reactions have surrounded LaBute’s work in general but the playwright has a loyal following and his work has been likened to David Mamet and Harold Pinter.

Lisa White, director of Bash which can be seen at the Maltings Arts Theatre in St Albans at 8pm next Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12, said: “Although the subject matter in Bash is incredibly disturbing it is also compelling like the horror film that you can’t stop yourself from watching, even if you have to hide behind a cushion at some point.

“The plays are not gratuitously shocking – LaBute is an expert storyteller with a direct approach that draws you in as an audience member and then leaves you to make sense of what you’ve witnessed rather than tell you what to think. The results are unsettling but make for great theatre.”

Tickets at �12.50/�7.50 are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/ovo