Shocking, moving and yet humanely told, the play presented the story of the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, based on the testimonies of the resident of Laramie collected by Tectonic Theatre Company in the aftermath of the attack.

A magnificent set, with a washed out distressed look that evoked the idea of faded rural hinterland and crosses that gave a nod to ideas of persecution and martyrdom and religious discourse in the play, was the perfect backdrop.

Director Max Lindsay staged the action with great sensitivity and creative flair, creating a searingly effective work that never pitched into the overly didactic. There were some first night nerves and the actors took a few minutes to settle into the flow, but they proved themselves performers of great maturity, versatility and subtlety, playing a multiple of roles brilliantly.