Doubt: A Parable - TNT

John Patrick Shanley's short four-hander was a prize-winning hit on Broadway when it premiered in 2004. But, not for the first time, what wowed in New York fails to strike the same chord when it crosses the Atlantic. Set in a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964, it takes a cautious peek at the issue of child abuse by men of the cloth. But is young Father Flynn really guilty of seriously overstepping the mark with a 12-year-old boy who just happens to be the only black pupil, or does the strict principal, Sister Aloysius, have nothing but her own unwavering (but unsubstantiated) certainty with which to accuse him?As she encourages the younger, idealistic Sister James to report any evidence which might confirm her suspicions - and even when she confronts the increasingly angry and worried priest — the dialogue seems dry and stilted. Only the unanticipated reaction of the boy's mother (Nikki Amuka-Bird) really surprises. For the rest, this is an uncharacteristically pedestrian production of an unremarkable play.
Tricycle Kilburn High Rd, NW6 (020-7328 1000). Until January 12. £18- £8.50