‘Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again’ is one of the most famous opening lines of a novel, originally written by Daphne Du Maurier in the 1930s. That story concerned a young woman in a whirlwind romance, whisked away to the country estate (Manderley) of a millionaire whose first wife tragically died in an accident.

Emma Gibson’s version moves the opening to be contemporary Australia, and whilst adopting similar themes and characters, takes the story in a different direction to become one frighteningly familiar to women everywhere.

The resulting performance is riveting, distressing, and horrifically recognisable. It’s a post-#metoo expression of frustration that despite the increased awareness, nothing much seems to have changed: the perpetrators abuse and use their power to continue the suffering of women – and most others, men and women alike, allow that to perpetuate.

Opening in Adelaide just before International Women’s Day and days after the publication of Australia’s gender pay-gap report quantified how far we still have to go, this is exceptionally relevant. And competing amidst a Fringe full of escapist comedy and superficial gratification, Gibson’s writing and Cooper’s performance are much smarter, more stimulating – and so vital.