Let’s start with a confession and a promise. The confession is that, before this, I had never seen anything directed by Steven Berkoff. The promise is that this will be the only review of his production of On the Waterfront this Fringe that doesn’t mention Marlon Brando. (Apart from that mention just now. That didn’t count, OK?)

On a bare stage bisected by crossed lines, against a huge silhouette of Liberty wielding a stevedore’s hook, the mythic reach of Budd Schulberg’s indestructible tale of a failed boxer who somehow finds the courage to stand up to the Mob is perfectly set. The drab tans and greys of the trenchcoated, fedora-wearing mobsters blend elegantly with the black shadowed edges of this hard man’s world. It is, as Berkoff has said, a work that has at its heart a belief in the importance of belonging to a group, something he underlines again and again in the use of tableaux and smoothly choreographed routines that throw into relief the architecture of the tribe.

Simon Merrells, as Terry Malloy, gives a beautifully controlled performance full of contained power. It would be easy to exaggerate the swagger or the Hamlet-like stasis which are both key elements of Malloy’s character, but Merrells balances the part superbly. Robin Kingsland, as his brother Charley, is also amazingly good. The famous scene in which Terry tells Charley that it was Charley’s crookedness that scuppered Terry’s boxing career has the audience entranced.

Supporting this feast for the eyes is an equally tasty treat for the ears. A flexible, dynamic mix of jazz, blues and early rock n roll is counterpointed with punchy live drumming, all under the auspices of the hugely talented Mark Glentworth.

This is theatre with passion, honesty and style to burn. Make sure you catch it while you can.

Dates and Times: Aug 2-25, 14:00 (no show Aug 5, 12, 19)