Annie Wobbler was originally written by Arnold Wesker in the 1980s for Nichola McAuliffe. With some updates to reflect modern society, Nichola brings Annie Wobbler Revisited to Edinburgh and delivers a mesmerising piece of theatre exploring toxic relationships, female insecurity and imposter syndrome.

Nichola McAuliffe gives a consummate performance, moving seamlessly between a succession of sharply defined characters. Anna is a skittish graduate, undermined by criticism from her mother and relationships with overbearing men who even presume to order her food. Despite possessing a French degree, she is almost apologetic that it comes from a “black brick” university.

Annabelle, an author, appears in three contrasting guises, all preparing for an interview. One is a successful writer who diminishes her achievements as merely “mid-culture” and is increasingly fearful of modern life. A wonderfully brash Scottish Annabelle found the determination to write after an uncle declared she would never succeed. The third version of Annabelle is altogether more vulnerable, plagued by a fear of mediocrity and with a bag of pills ominously close at hand.

Finally comes Annie Wobbler, a bag lady haunting Waterloo Station and railing against foreigners. Yet her story proves perhaps the most affecting. So comprehensively has life broken her that she believes she should simply be rubbed out and drawn again. The vulnerability shown when Annie states this brought tears to my eyes.

More than four decades after it was written, Wesker’s examination of women doubting their own worth remains depressingly pertinent. McAuliffe’s ability to inhabit each character so completely makes this an impressive and deeply affecting piece of theatre.Unmissable.

*****