There is nothing as complicated as family. A gripping, intimate play about memory, manipulation and survival in this bold, minimalist world where past and present collide. 

Many people have described this text by American playwright Paula Vogel as Lolita written from a female perspective. It’s about a young woman reflecting on her life so far - a life scarred by trauma but also filled with love. And therein lies the problem: nothing in this story is simple.  

The story follows the strained, sexual relationship between a young woman, Li'l Bit, and her aunt's husband, Uncle Peck, from her pre-adolescence through her teenage years into college and beyond. Using the metaphor of learning to drive, the play explores a provocative landscape around control, pedophilia and manipulation. 

The actors are extraordinary as they delve into the relationship between the two characters, Li’l Bit and her uncle, a relationship fraught with ambivalence: love, tenderness, curiosity, teaching, trust, the formation of authority, mistakes, and, consequently, boundary violations, grooming, and harm leading to self-destruction.  

Originally premiered in 1997, the writer Paula Vogel boldly opted to write her play with empathy for both characters, thereby opening up a vital, discussion about the causes - not just the consequences - of such a relationship.