It's 1939, and the night of the Oscars. Double Oscar winner Bette Davis has lost to Vivien Leigh, for Gone With the Wind, and she is having a major hissy fit. Initially, this piece seems like an unprepossessing and thinly-veiled tirade against the Hollywood system. But writer/star Jessica Sherr (uncannily familiar in her every pout or raised eyebrow) does something very sophisticated – she metaphorically scrubs Davis of her make-up and gowns, revealing the ambitious child seeking affirmation from both parents.

Never a 'pretty' actor, Davis nevertheless succeeded in the age of the casting couch, which she lampoons by stripping down to corset and knickers and adopting 'pin-up ' poses – she was a real actor with integrity, not a hoofer or glamour girl. Her voice, with a slightly English affectation which could strip paint, only softens when dealing with the romantic relationships which she is failing to negotiate.

Bette Davis Ain't For Sissies is a magnificently witty and touching testament to a woman who refused to compromise. Sherr so inhabits Davis that it is eerie – even wearing Davis' real evening gloves. She is a star in the making, in her own right. Davis would, you suspect, approve.

Assembly Rooms, George Street, 0844 693 3008, 1–24 Aug, 2.45 pm, £10 (£9).