The great American poet Ezra Pound was incarcerated for 13 years, in a Washington hospital for the criminally insane, after the second World War. It was a cop-out, a means of sparing him the death penalty for the treason of anti-American broadcasts.

This play, by Billy Marshall-Stone King, is set in the hospital, and opens with a visit by a woman psychiatrist with the task of making an updated recommendation, in his 13th year of imprisonment, on his sanity. Still a strong, egocentric character, Pound maintains his obsessive view that wars are caused by politicians and bankers, with Jews at the heart of it all. He wants his day in court.

In the second act another young woman, a student teacher and something of a Pound groupie, visits him and talks about his prospects. All is resolved, however, when the state finds him incurably psychotic, and releases him into the care of his wife.

It is notoriously difficult to create a credible character of genius. As scripted here, this Pound is a forceful, opinionated old man, but we have to take his genius on trust.

The shrink is unprofessionally passionate and the student at least naive. But Vincent McCabe brings real psychological strength to his role, while Gail Fitzpatrick and Laura Brennan support him effectively. They are more than watchable.

James Watson directs this footnote to history for the Celtic Mouse company.

Plays until 10th April; booking at 01-6713387