WINCHESTER'S Deborah Edgington admits the themes and action portrayed in her latest project is out of her comfort zone.

"Audiences have been leaving shell-shocked," admitted the co-director of African Gothic which opened this week at Finsbury Park's small Park Theatre in London.

With its exploration of such themes as incest and murder, author Reza de Wet's play is certainly shocking. But Deborah is no stranger to controversy closer to home after her staging of a bold version of The Seagull at Winchester's Chesil Theatre last summer.

"The wonderful writing of Reza means she expects the audience to work by not providing all the answers. It is a quite different to what I've worked on before."

African Gothic is co- directed with Roger Mortimer who founded Two Sheds theatre company and worked with Deborah on Muswell Hill which transferred to Park Theatre after a successful debut at the White Bear Theatre.

My Children! My Africa! followed as a further successful co- directed project, bringing critical acclaim and a move to the West End.

But although she is now in growing demand for London productions, Deborah remains Forest Forge Theatre Company based in the New Forest and a member of the JMK Trust, an independent trust set up nationally to help and support 'young, emerging directors' and has a group based at Salisbury Playhouse.

She also proudly credits her Daily Echo Curtain Call award nomination for Best Director with the Chesil Theatre where she will stage a New Writing Festival this year.

Ian Murray