WHY do women have affairs with married men?

What possesses them to commit to someone who they can't have a relationship with on a full-time basis?

This week's Oran Play Fat Alice tells the story of Moira and Peter - who've been having an affair for a decade.

Peter has promised to tell his wife but then Peter promises a lot of things. Something's got to give.

And it does, when a crack in Moira's ceiling gives way to something they could never have expected.

The crack in the ceiling is a great metaphor for the crack in the relationship.

And it gives way to something they never expected.

That 'something' can't be revealed, or it will spoil the plot.

But Moira, played by Meg Fraser, finally starts to question their relationship and what it's doing to her.

But when is enough enough?

"I guess it's about people coming to a crux in their lives," she says.

"Moira comes to realise she can't have children with this married man, and her life is on hold.

"And of course, she's a second choice."

Is Moira a man-pleaser, slightly subservient?

"Well, we decided early on she's someone who doesn't have a lot of self-confidence," says Meg.

"And she's been prepared to be second best because it's better than nothing."

Is she madly in love? She has been, but is now questioning that love. However, the plays raises the question of how you can love someone who is not prepared to offer all of their love to you?

"And is he capable of having an affair with someone else as well?"

Meg says she's had fun getting into the character?

"Yes, Alison Carr's writing is so good," she says smiling. "Although the script I got on the first day of rehearsals was very different from the original.

"The writer decided to make it a more balanced piece. At first, it was mostly Moira's story but now you hear much more of Peter's voice.

"You get to hear his story as well."

Meg adds; "It's a very funny, energetic piece, but it also has great moments of sadness. It's lovely."

Could she ever contemplate an affair with a married man?

"No, too much hassle," she says, emphatically.

"And I like having a nice, quiet life.

"But I think it comes from a lack of confidence in some women and thinking what other people think they should have.

"However, I think women are coming to change, that they no longer panic if they don't have a man in their life."

Meg has a terrific acting experience to bring to the role.

But she reveals she never set out to become an actress.

"Growing up in Wick, if you were at all creative they only choice you had was to go to art college," she sighs in recall.

"My sister had gone to art college so I had to follow her. We ended up in the same class, worked in the same pub at nights, and we shared a one bedroom flat together. It was all a bit too much."

The art college wasn't for Meg. "My sculptures were too small, my jewellery too big and my printmaking not colourful enough," she says, smiling.

Clearly, she was in the wrong movie.

"I was, but I got there eventually."

She did, via a stint as an usher at His Majesty's in Aberdeen then three years at RSAMD in Glasgow.

From there, a great range of theatre roles followed in the likes of The Trick Is To Keep Breathing and The Taming of the Shrew.

Indeed, Meg was awarded the 2007 Critics' Award for Theatre in Scotland for her role in Tom Fool at the Citizens' Theatre.

Root canal work, but Doctor Theatre managed to help her through.

"Yes, that and a really good dentist who did Stage One of the root canal treatment.

"My face blew up and I could hardly speak and my eye was swollen. But amazingly, the audience didn't really notice it. Or if they did, they were really kind."

This week, Meg's face should be close to a normal size, but it's testimony to her talent she

€¢ Fat Alice, Oran Mor, until Saturday.