The Nether, Duke of York's Theatre ****

This is not a play that debates the morality of paedophilia. In this play, paedophilia is just accepted as wrong and sick. What The Nether is actually about is online responsibility and whether actions on the internet have consequences, filtered through the eyes of a world in a part of the Nether where an unnatural love for children is made acceptable. As far as Oliviers go, this has been nominated for best new play, best supporting actor (David Calder) and actress (the girls playing Iris) and best set design for Es Devlin. I think, whilst this would be a worthy winner in any of  these categories, I think that the only realistic chance for a win is for Devlin's astonishing designs. Whilst Haley's writing is shocking and is cleverly constructed, it is a typically royal court play which takes a snapshot unlike fellow nominees which dwell over a concept for longer periods of time, with the stand out written in Shakespearian verse. This will make probably be more likely to sway the panel. Whilst the performances are admirable, with Amanda Hale giving the best with a heavily emotional showing, I wouldn't say that I left being bowled over by the performances. In reality, this production is successful down to the extraordinary set and video designs from Es Devlin and Luke Halls. This transforms the play into a revolutionary production which has redefined the role of technology in staging a play. It gives the play the futuristic look it needs and is just as important as the actors or text. This is what makes the production special.