|
|
|
|
|
|
Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
|
|
Suspects and bodies galore
Hello, hello, hello, what's going on 'ere then! Dan Taylor as Edmund Swettenham, (left), Lynn Ravenhill as Mrs Swettenham, Sandy Tudor as Letitia Blacklock, Sue Hunt as Dora Brunner, Marika Farr as Phillipa Haymes and Alex Parkinson as Patrick Simmons . . . and body No 1 A Murder is Announced The Nonentities The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster **** THESE days we
all know from TV that the average crime scene investigator, or CSI as we
all know them, merely needs to sniff the air at a crime scene to tell
you the age, sex, inside leg measurement and name of the first pet of
the murderer. Science and facts will bring down the most
skilled, brutal and devious killer in an hour – 40 minutes if you allow
for the ads. All of which means Agatha Christie's gentler pace
of country house murders, with servants, busybody neighbours, guests
with pasts that don't quite ring true – and superannuated sleuth Jane
Marple – are in danger of looking dated and old fashioned, a fate which
has befallen more than one professional production attempting a revival. So it is to the immense credit of a fine cast and
director Pamela Meredith that the mystery not only kept up the suspense
but also the interest of a full house in a wonderfully entertaining
evening. We can dismiss the police, a no-nonsense,
methodical country inspector in the shape of Craddok, played with
gentle authority by Colin Young and Sgt Mellors, played by Nick Haynes,
and probably the first corpse – played rather stiffly by Richard Taylor
doubling up on his stage manager duties - which leaves us with
nine murder suspects. Although it would have been a novel twist to have
Miss Marple committing all the murders to keep her mysteries going,
Agatha missed that particular trick, which means any of eight villagers
and inhabitants of Little Paddocks, or any combination of course, could
be the murderer(s), with enough permutations, possibilities and motives
to keep an audience guessing all night. So we were just lucky to have matter of fact
Craddock and Jane Marple on hand to solve it for us. Director Meredith,
incidentally, played Miss Marple when the company last performed the
play and this time round it is Joan Wakeman who gives a very assured and
understated performance as Christie's celebrated pensioner sleuth. The mystery opens with an announcement of a
murder at Little Paddocks at 6.30 that night in the notices in the local
weekly – and right on cue we have a body - but not one belonging to
anyone we know.
The real target of the killer appears to have
been Letitia Blacklock, owner of Little Paddocks, played confidently by
Sandy Tudor. So who was after her? Was it the dead man who we
discover later had links to other people present? Or could it have been
the brother and sister of a distant first cousin who were staying with
Letitia, Julia and Patrick played with assurance by Tori Wakeman and
Alex Parkinson. Then there was the widowed single mum Philippa,
unrelated but taken in out of sympathy, played by the reliable Marika
Farr. Perhaps it was Mrs Swetterham, who looked a bit
foreign, and bustled about nosily in the hands of Lynn Ravenhill, or her
layabout son Edward , played with a shiftiness by Dan Taylor, who had
the hots for Philippa. And while we are on foreign, what about Mitzi
the, argumentative, bolshie Hungarian (perhaps) maid who admitted to
lying all the time, played by the excellent Louise Fulwell. We even suspected Bunny, an old friend who had
fallen on hard times so had been taken in by Letitia. Bunny, played
beautifully by Sue Hunt, was halfway through the door to dementia – but
could that have all been an act? While we were pondering a second death ended one
theory but reinforced another as the plot thickens and we discover that
probably the only person who is who they say they are is the lady
selling programmes in the foyer. There are some clever scene changes, using Mitzi
and Bunny as stage hands to plump up cushions and tidy the set, and an
excellent set from the construction team which looks very solid and very
1930s with brown wood-grained doors and panelling and dark cream walls. The set was also well lit by Murray Bridges and
John Batchelor all helping to create a thoroughly entertaining evening
with Craddock and Miss Marple keeping us in suspense until the very last
page of script. To 02-02-13 Roger Clarke The Rose Box Office is
open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9.30am – 3.00pm, Saturday 9.30am
– 1.30pm, telephone number 01562 743745. Online booking at
www.rosetheatre.co.uk. |
|
|
|
