GOODNESS, life is complicated these days, isn’t it? Increasing numbers of people question their identities, finding much on-line support for dual, triple or even multiple personalities. Theatre goers support horror rom coms that give that extra live edge to the oft-viewed favourite movies. And we all have to face the issues that social media and peer group pressure raise.

Debut playwright Erin De Frias has been working with Dorsetborn’s founder Rohan Gotobed for the past three years on her play Lessons from Teacher X. (I don’t know whether that is an anonymous teacher, a forbidden teacher or a kiss from teacher.)

Cam, a young teacher, is grappling with grief over her mother’s death, fury at her once-best-friend for moving in on her dad before mother was even cold (and her dad for succumbing), and trying to establish herself as a stranger in a new location. On the one hand she’s a romantic, looking for a Mr Right who arrives just like they do in rom com movies. But on the other hand she’s hell bent on punishing men at the same time as augmenting her income with fees for online sex.

To do this, Cam becomes Crystal, locked away in the privacy of her own flat, accompanied by giant sex toys, sexy underwear and a script crafted to tease out every drop of craven credulity from her prey.

Over the 70 minutes of the performance, Barbara Smith (Dana Monroe from Eastenders) brings to life a host of characters from precocious schoolgirls through barmaids, parents, head teachers and bright daughters to pathetic punters. It is an astonishingly accomplished achievement, with every new character given an exclusive and very recognisable voice. Did I believe in Tommy’s distinctive voice? Well, he didn’t sound like any local baker I ever met, so not quite – but the voice distorting maching did all the other work with the “clients”.

Is it a story about toxic masculinity and the only way women can combat – or try to control – it? Is it a story of a disturbed and conflicted young woman trying to find love? And is the end horrifying, or do you want to cheer?

Judging by the response from the packed Sherling Studio at Poole Lighthouse, it hit all the right buttons across the widely varied audience – it was great to see so many young people at the theatre. It is certainly modern, brave and challenging as well as brilliantly performed and directed.

See it at Dorchester Arts on 21st May, or Taunton Brewhouse on 23rd May before it heads to Brighton, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich.

GP-W