Old flames flaring up again

The Trouble with Old Lovers

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

*** 

WHAT promises to be a pleasant reunion of four old flames in this bittersweet comedy becomes rather heated when a fifth lover arrives on the scene.

Angela Huth's amusing play begins at a rather sedate pace in the smart West Country home of barrister Tom, impressively played by Peter Amory (Emmerdale bad boy Chris Tate), but he will soon have to defend himself.

Returning, rather tipsy, from a friend's wedding, his attractive wife Alice announces that she had met Edward and Laura, friends from 20 years ago, and invited them to dinner....Edward being her former lover and Laura having had a brief pre-marital affair with Tom.

But when the couple turn up with Mary, a glamorous blonde (Shona Lindsay), it transpires that she had a two-year fling with Tom more recently and is hell bent on re-igniting the passion.

It's a somewhat fanciful plot, but, blessed by excellent acting, the tale has many high spots, with fine performances from Dr Who companion 'Peri' (Nicola Bryant), Joanna Waters (Laura) and Simon Linnell (Edward).

How Tom survives the threat to his comfortable marriage provides a fascinating ending to the tale.

This is the third in the producer Ian Dickens' summer play season at the Grand which ends next week with the Emlyn Williams thriller A Murder Has Been Arranged.

The Trouble With Old Lovers runs to 13-07-13

Paul Marston 

 

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