Sometimes, when days are bleak and the nights too long, I promise myself it is time to stop going to the theatre. The local industry is too fragile, small, and sensitive to take an honest, hard blow on the chin. Criticism comes wrapped in tear-stained tissues.Besides, how can you pan a play in a harsh, cold climate where too many actors struggle, where blase audiences have a smorgasbord of other, perhaps cheaper, distractions from which to choose? Hard times, as Charles Dickens would say.With The Pervert Laura, on at the Fugard Theatre, I got lucky. There is zilch to whine about - it is a solid, entertaining, psychological drama written by wunderkind Louis Viljoen.He is a courageous young man, who keeps at it like an unyielding long-distance runner, never giving up, working on one good play after the other. Some parts of the dialogue in this production border on poetry, the text is tight, sparse, and hard-hitting.Emily Child plays Laura, a spirited, angst-ridden, foul-mouthed character that a psychiatrist just might diagnose with borderline personality disorder.But it is an urbane play that is, in essence, about Laura, dear tempestuous Laura, and her dark little secret. To tell too much would reveal the intricate plot. See it, and be proud of the talent, they deserve it.Until May 30. Book at www.thefugard.com..