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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. |
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Veronica’s Room
Highbury Theatre Centre
**** ANYONE who has watched Criminal Minds
on TV, or indeed many other of the US crime dramas, will know that
America has pretty well cornered the market on your friendly,
neighbourhood, psychopathic nutter. So when an ancient couple with dodgy Irish
accents meet Susan and Larry in a restaurant, Larry being a boy she only
met a few days ago, and, making a strange request, invite them back to
the home where they are the caretakers, suspicions should be at least
twitching into life. The scene is supposedly Boston in 1973 and Susan,
or so she is told by the decrepit couple, is a dead ringer for Veronica,
a girl who used to live in the house until she died of TB, while her
loony sister Cissy, who still thinks her sister is alive, is dying of
cancer wracked with guilt that Veronica is angry with her for some
unexplained incident years age. Veronica’s room, furniture covered in dustsheets
on a nice set from Malcolm Robertshaw, has been left just as it was when
she died . . . so, if only Susan would dress up as Veronica and
pretend to be her, and then tell Cissy she wasn’t angry at all, and had
missed her so much . . . then all would be well with the world and Cissy
would be able to die happy, or as happy as you can be in shuffling off
the mortal coil. At this point the alarm bells should be deafening
but despite obvious reservations by lawyer Larry, saintly Susan decides
to go along with the plan to allow Cissy’s troubled soul to meet its
maker free from guilt and off she vanishes into the en suite toute suite
to change into Veronica's clothes . . . and into her life. Advertised as a chilling thriller we should know within a few minutes that all is not as it seems, things are ringing a little bit too true to be actually true in Ira Levin’s spine-chiller, if you see what I mean. Levin’s most famous
work is probably Rosemary’s Baby
and, like in that gothic horror novel, you know from early on that
something is amiss, that things are just not stacking up, but there is
nothing to put your finger on. You just know something isn’t right. After the interval sanity retreats even Like
Rosemary’s Baby
there is growing unease from the opening scene but it is not until the
very end that we discover the full horror of what we have seen
developing before us.
Dee White and Robert Hicks play the older couple
showing commendable distinction between their performance in the two
acts in what are not the easiest of roles while Emma Woodcock is a
sweet, innocent Susan becoming more and more frantic as reality dawns on
her. Josh Higgins, meanwhile, looking a little like an
unwanted extra in a 118-118 ad – don’t you just miss the 70s with its
perms and Zapata moustaches – is a laid back, cool, 70’s dude, new
boyfriend Larry and the only one who seems to want to question or
suspect anything wrong with what is being suggested. Could he be the
only sane one we ask? Directed by Laura McLaurie and Richard Tye, the
cast of four build the tension slowly with the opening act setting a
scene that becomes unrecognised by act II. There are no clues, this is
no whodunit, but the tension is there and is unleashed after the
interval growing to a terrible climax. I have always maintained
imagination is better than any special effects and the full realisation
of the truth within the walls of Veronica’s room are testament to that.
To say much more would be to give away the gripping plot. It is beautifully paced building relentlessly to
its terrible conclusion and with first night gone the production can
settle down now into its own natural rhythm. The plot is clever, the
twist unexpected and the tension rising with every minute that passes.
Horror at its disturbing best. To 31-10-15 Roger Clarke
20-10-15 |
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