Three characters in present-day Britain–a serial murderer who preys on little girls, the crusading mother of one of his victims, and a psychologist prone to anxiety attacks–explore the roots of antisocial behavior in Bryony Lavery’s drama. Nominated for a Tony in 2004, it imposes a thick veneer of academic argot on the familiar debate over nature vs. nurture. Though the three seasoned troupers here deliver intensely focused performances under Steve Scott’s direction, aided by razor-sharp dialects and gripping incidental music, Lavery’s curiously Victorian tale is too mannered to offer much more than a good old-fashioned shiver and weep. –Mary Shen Barnidge a Through 5/13: Thu 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM, Next Theatre Company, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes, Evanston, 847-475-1875, ext. 2, $12.50-$35.