The Handmaid's Tale, Central Studio, Basingstoke

IN THIS searching portrayal, the bleak world of Margaret Atwood's mid-Eighties novel raises questions that are increasingly relevant today.

The cast play a variety of roles, including the memories and differing voices of Offred, the main character.

Offred lives in a state controlled by unseen powers. Female liberty has been reversed and women have no freedom, jobs or even right to companionship. Fertility has declined and certain couples are allowed handmaids to bear their children.

This is a ritualistic relationship, and when Offred fails to conceive, the wife provides her with a lover. Kept in subjugation, Offred has little choice but to break the law.

The rich script is superbly adapted and directed with well-executed graphics.