Playhouse, Sheffield
The actor plays a dozen roles with aplomb in a small-town US tale co-written with Ed Stambollouian

What an astonishing performance. In a kind of true-crime version of Under Milk Wood, Jack Holden evokes the life of small-town Skidmore, Missouri, in an audacious display of technical skill. In the published script, he and his co-writer Ed Stambollouian say Kenrex could be performed by a cast of any size but, for its premiere, Holden alone has taken on a dozen named characters and sundry minor roles. His transitions between them – sharp, assured and physically precise – are breathtaking. He demands to be seen.

Whether the story he tells merits such virtuosity is a moot point, but it is unquestionably a fascinating case. In 1981, Ken Rex McElroy was gunned down by at least two of his fellow townsfolk. Despite a crowd of more than 40 being present, none could identify a shooter. Their reason? McElroy’s decade-long campaign of suspected criminality, ranging from arson to assault, intimidation to rape. He had been taken to court 21 times but, thanks to a skilful attorney, never once convicted. The people had had enough.

At Playhouse, Sheffield, until 16 November