HARPER Lee's classic story of racial intolerance and injustice in 1930s America has taken on a whole new resonance in the post 9/11 era, a time in which anyone deemed to be "foreign" or "alien" to the status quo is scapegoated and perceived as a threat.

There was a time when the scapegoats were black or Jewish: now they are Polish, or Kosovan, or Islamic, or gay. In short, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

And this is where drama has an important part to play, reminding us - as is eloquently stated in this play - that under the skin, "folks are just folks".

Those of us who are fortunate enough to remember seeing Clwyd Theatr Cymru's production of this powerful play at Taliesin Arts Centre some years ago have welcomed its revival here. The passing of time has strengthened its appeal, and director Tim Baker's singular vision has resulted in a piece of theatre which - although stylised to some degree, an aspect underpinned by the stark, minimalistic set - relies upon strong characterisation and empathy to get its message across in a manner which neatly sidesteps the preachy approach all too often employed in works which explore themes such as bigotry and prejudice.

We see the story through the eyes of Scout (Amy Morgan), who lives with her brother Jem (Joshua McCord) and father Atticus (Gwyn Vaughan Jones) in Maycomb, Alabama, at the time of the Great Depression.

Her childlike take on the world enables her to see the good in people, regardless of the colour of their skin, and when her father is called upon to defend Tom Robinson (Oliver Wilson), a black man accused of raping a white girl(Mayella, played by Rhian Blythe), she rapidly discovers that not all men are created equal.

The performances are strong, and during the course of the story we come to care about the characters, even those on the fringes of the action: Reginald Tsiboe(Reverend Sykes)and Denise Orita(Calpurnia)are especially fine in their respective roles, as are Eva Fontaine(Oliver's wife, Helen), Alex Parry(Mr Gilmer)and Simon Armstrong, whose portrayal of Mayella's redneck father Bob Ewell perfectly encapsulates the kind of blinkered ignorance that lies at the heart of bigotry.

Oliver Wilson's performance as the gentle Tom is awesome, particularly in the riveting courtroom scene: on the opening night, a party of students in the Grand Circle(yes, I do mean you!)who had spent the entire first half talking, sniggering and rustling crisp packets were stunned into silence by this spellbinding scene. If that doesn't demonstrate the power of live drama, I don't know what does.

To Kill a Mockingbird ends its run at the Grand on Saturday. I have no hesitation in recommending it not only to devotees of high quality theatre, but also to anyone who cares about fairness, justice and the ties which bind us together: this is a play which reaches down the generations and which has an important message to convey.

Graham Williams

To Kill a Mockingbird was staged at Swansea Grand Theatre.