A guilty silence

The characters in these two short plays by young Brazilian playwright Marcos Barbosa, presented as part of the Royal Court's international season, express themselves more eloquently through silence than through speech.

In Almost Nothing, a wealthy couple ponder what to do, having shot and killed a child who threatened them on the street. Their blank faces refuse grief, fear, guilt or shame, they restrict their conversation to cool facts, and signal their agreement to deal with the boy's mother by saying nothing.

In At The Table, two men meet to discuss what happened to them as children; a scandal that has destroyed the community in which they grew up. Again, the silence of the intervening years is a more powerful dramatic presence than dialogue.

Barbosa has organised these two plays beautifully, concentrating on the aftermath rather than the event, evoking a modern world defined by moral ambivalence and buried feelings. Roxanna Silbert's efficiently directed, well-acted productions capture the disaster lying below the surface. That said, Barbosa is a raw talent rather than a fully realised one. But as he is only 26, watch this space.

Until Feb 28, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court, Sloane Square SW1, Mon to Sat 7.45pm, mats 4pm, £12.50 to £16, £9 concs. Tel: 020 7565 5000. Tube: Sloane Square www.royalcourttheatre.com

Almost Nothing (Quase Nada)/At The Table (A Mesa)