Review - Deathtrap - People's Theatre

Deathtrap 

People's Theatre

17th January 2023

Written by Ira Levin

Directed by Mark Buckley

Cast:     

Sidney Bruhl - Bill Harrington

Myra Bruhl - Elizabeth Hack

Clifford Anderson - Adam Cummins

Helga Ten Dorp - Helga McNeil

Porter Milgrim - Michael White 

Deathtrap is a taut psychological thriller, with a sprinkling of dark humour. Sidney Bruhl is a washed up playwright. His glory days are in the past and he has written nothing of worth for over 18 years.  Reduced to running seminars for up and coming new writers to make some money, he discovers a potential goldmine in one of the students. Perhaps he could dispose of the student and steal his play? He wouldn't do that though, would he? His wife Myra has misgivings. And she is right to be worried. 

Not exactly a murder mystery because, rather like an episode of Columbo, you know who done it - you see it happen. And you think you know why - after all Sidney Bruhl has outlined his plot perfectly. Except, this play is full of twists and turns and has an entire net of red herrings. A murder is committed before our very eyes, but all is most certainly not as it seems. And that is as much as I can say about the plot, without giving everything away and spoiling the suspense. Envy and pride, and money and fame and reputation all play a part, and one person possibly doesn't deserve their fate. But who knows? Just when you think you know what's happening, it changes direction. 

The performances are brilliant - each character absolutely convincing. Under Mark Buckley's direction the suspense builds and eases, only to build again as twist after twist is revealed. The audience is constantly surprised by the way the plot shifts. The set is lavish, with great attention to detail and the sound and lighting crew recreate a thunderous storm for the climax of the play. 

An excellent start to the Spring Season at People's Theatre. Playing until Saturday 21st January, buy a ticket, but take care not to get caught in the Deathtrap! 

Photo credit: Jess Chapman

Denise Sparrowhawk                         

 

The Hollow - People's Theatre - Review

The Hollow
People's Theatre
18th Jan 2022 

You know that life is starting to get back to normal when you're at The People's Theatre for an Agatha Christie mystery in January! It's not entirely back to normal - Tuesday evenings are still socially distanced which meant there were lots of spaces between the audience and we were wearing masks, but we were at the theatre looking at the familiar set of an affluent country house living room, complete with French windows to the terrace. 

It's difficult to review an Agatha Christie without giving away spoilers - so suffice to say that someone in The Hollow comes to an untimely end and the rest of the cast are under suspicion, and each one as likely as the other to have committed the deadly deed! Personally I feel the victim may have deserved it, not the most sympathetic of the characters in this play and it's a tribute to the performance of the cast member (who I can't name as that would give too much away...) that I disliked them so much! 

The play follows the Christie formula - lots of suspects and lots of red herrings, hints at shared childhood experiences and past adventures and misdeeds amongst the characters, all of which add to the intrigue. the first Act builds to the climax of the murder with everyone in the audience wondering which one is for the chop. Act two introduces the detective and the long process of unpicking the puzzle and uncovering the murderer. I have to say, I had my suspicions, but Agatha is adept at throwing us off the scent so I did waver back and forth quite a bit, but in the end deduced correctly, without being entirely sure of the means! 

There is a great deal of character building and background filling, necessary but which did mean the suspense waned at times, plus this is a bit of an epic at over two and a half hours. However, that said  this is a well executed play with some really lovely performances. I particularly liked Kirstie Corfield as the eccentric and absentminded, but lovable, Lady Lucy Angkatell, and Steve Strouzer as the long-serving, stoic and loyal Butler, Gudgeon. 

The costumes were on point with lovely evening frocks and stylish day wear for the ladies, smart suits and tweeds for the gentlemen, and the set was a perfect rendition of the aforementioned country house.

Overall a great evening's entertainment - and if they could shave a few minutes off the running time would be the only improvement! 

The Hollow runs till Saturday 22nd January. It's well worth a visit to the Peoples Theatre and I would recommend it if you are making your first foray back into social events - their set up feels reassuringly safe and fuss free. 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Dial M For Murder - Review - People's Theatre

Dial M For Murder
People's Theatre
21st Jan 2020

To launch the new season the People's Theatre have swapped their usual post Christmas Agatha Christie for the equally suspenseful Dial M For Murder by Frederick Knott.
Tony Wendice married his wife Margot for her money. Margot, having belatedly discovered that marriage to a tennis superstar is not all she had dreamed it would be, has an affair with crime writer Max. When Tony discovers the affair he plots the perfect murder - gaining his freedom from a loveless marriage but keeping Margot's money.

In Frederick Knott's play the audience are in on the plot almost from the start. We learn straight away about the short-lived affair. And we know that Margot believes her husband knows nothing about it. We learn that she has gone to great pains to ensure that he did not find out - even so far as paying money to a blackmailer. But so many things don't seem to add up. Is everything quite as the audience is being led to believe - or is there more to this tale? Tony Wendice is a man used to having his own way. And he is a man used to paying whatever it takes for something he wants. He is single-minded, dangerous, calculating, and observant - perhaps obsessively so.

This suspense is played out entirely in the living room of the Wendice's ground floor flat in London. A simple set - sofa, desk, drinks cabinet...three doors - one to the bedroom and kitchen, one to the hall and stairs, and French windows to the garden. all three doors will play an important roll in the development of the plot. The lighting is sinister and dramatic and used to great effect with blood red backlighting from the hall casts shadows across as characters enter and leave the flat. Adding to the atmosphere is the quietly malevolent score, specially commissioned, by James Jones.

The characters are all very different, Alison Carr plays Margot, the dutiful wife who is clearly intimidated by her husband, yet we see a lighter, more carefree side to her character when she is with Max. Sean Burnside is chilling in the role of Tony Wendice, switching from affable host to scheming murderer in the flick of a red spotlight switch. Robbie Close is the cheerful, but lovelorn Max Halliday, who appears easy going but has the presence of mind to see through Tony and is loyal to Margot to the end. I couldn't help but feel she didn't quite deserve him!
Tony Sehgal plays Lesgate (or Swan, or is it Wilson?), the hapless opportunist ex-con, who falls victim - in more ways than one - to Wendice's plotting. And finally there is Inspector Hubbard. The down to earth detective who unravels the mystery. Brilliantly cast in the role, Emma Weetch bring a touch of humour like a breath of fresh air, puncturing the tension -  imagine a female Columbo, with more style and a London accent and you just about have her. As much as the music and lighting created the atmosphere and ramped up the suspense, she burst it and brought us back down to earth. She was the star of the show for me.

Dial M for Murder is a well directed, well staged production and a great start to the Spring season!
It plays until Saturday 25th January.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Dial M for Murder - Review - Royalty Theatre

Dial M for Murder 
Royalty Theatre
18th Mar 2019

Tony Wendice (James Errington), former tennis player, discovers his wife, Sheila (Abbi Laidlar), has been having an affair. Having married her for her money, he plots the perfect murder to rid himself of an unfaithful wife but still keep her money. He "persuades" an old school housemate (Lee Wilkins) with a chequered past,  to execute the plan, and even enlists his wife's former lover Max (Alex Goodchild) to act - unknowingly - as his alibi. However, despite his careful planning not everything goes as expected and things soon begin to unravel. He manages to turn the situation back to his advantage but has not bargained on the tenacity of Max, or the investigating officer Inspector Hubbard (John Appleton).

This is a dialogue heavy play, with the history of the characters' relationships having to be explained so that the audience understands their current situation. It is a play of words rather than action - suspense builds as the audience learns each character's story and viewpoint. Sheila believes her once faltering marriage is now safe and stable; Max still loves Shelia despite her loyalty to Tony; Tony is devious, deceptive, self absorbed and unforgiving. James Errington plays the part with skill - wearing a mask of friendly civility which slips to reveal his cold, sneering true self the minute he is not being observed (the audience almost booed, but we contented ourselves with a sharp intake of breath and a collective "oooh!").

The tension is relieved with occasional touches of humour - Max wearing Tony's too small dinner jacket, Insp. Hubbard asking Shelia to hold off on her breakdown for a few minutes...

Direction from Billy Towers and Olivia Bowern allows the actors to give the audience glimpses of the true situation while their characters remain unaware, and makes the most of the nuances of the script. 

Lighting and sound are sharp - with excellent use of music appropriate to the period, both before and during the play. There were a couple of prop malfunctions on the night, and one or two stumbled lines - but the manner in which cast and technical team cope with these is always a good measure of  a production and they were covered skilfully,

with a degree of aplomb and a smattering of good humour. I'm sure first night nerves will calm as the week progresses and performances will be smoother.

One downside was the rather laboured footsteps to the door - while there had to be the sound of approaching footsteps, it seems every character regardless of build, has the same heavy footed tread which detracted from the seriousness of the moment and tended to puncture some of the tension at a point where it ought to be taut. But this is a minor quibble in what is an entertaining, and on the whole suspenseful production - and it does have a nicely revealed twist at the end and sharp curtain drop finish. 

Strong performances from the cast - in particular James Errington and Alex Goodchild - and excellent technical support make this well worth seeing. It plays until Sat 23rd March. Tickets can be booked in advance via the website or purchased on the door. 

Denise Sparrowhawk 

Preview - Mary Mary - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE BEGIN 2019 WITH JACK THE RIPPER-THEMED MARY MARY.

The Royalty Theatre will begin 2019 with the premier of local writer Billy Tower’s Mary Mary.

The play is based around the life of Mary Kelly, considered by many to be the fifth and final victim of Whitechapel killer Jack the Ripper.    Little is known of Mary Kelly’s life before she came to reside in Whitechapel – making her by far the most mysterious of the serial killer’s alleged victims.

Director Abbi Laidler says: “It is a fictional account of factual events and I try to explore how those events had an impact on the Whitechapel community and Mary Kelly in particular. The victims have been reduced to names in police files, but these women had lives that are often overlooked in the search for the killer. I am not interested in naming the killer in this play, I am using Mary to focus on how these events affected her as an individual.  I really hope you enjoy this show written by the talented Billy Towers.”

The play, which runs from 23^rd to 26^th January, stars Nikki Slack as Mary and Andrew Barella as Joseph Barnett.  Also appearing are Helen Bowie and Alex Goodchild.

Being performed in the Royalty’s studio theatre, which last year saw performances of Five Kinds of Silence, Temple and new piece Jesu Mercy, all tickets are £6.50 and are strictly limited to 60 per evening.

Over the years I have been reviewing I have come to relish the intimacy and immediacy  of a studio production. Performed in a small space these productions can have a greater impact on the audience members than plays performed in the larger auditorium.  The close proximity of the audience to the stage - often in the round - creates a sense of involvement and increases the intensity of the experience. There is no where to hide when emotions begin to run high. 

 Often studio productions are plays by established writers which  explore difficult themes, or they may be new works by writers testing their wings. Mary Mary is a combination of a new work by a local writer, and an exploration of a difficult subject. It sounds fascinating and I am looking forward to experiencing it. 

Tickets can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366 and I recommend purchasing in advance to avoid disappointment - Friday and Saturday are already sold out. 

DS

Preview - My Cousin Rachel - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE TO SHOW DU MAURIER CLASSIC "MY COUSIN RACHEL"

James Errington as Philip, and Olivia Bowern as  Rachel

Credit: Royalty Theatre

The Royalty theatre will continue their 2018/19 season with an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s thriller My Cousin Rachel.

Diana Morgan’s adaptation of the Victorian suspense drama, set in the Cornish countryside, concerns Philip Ashley, a young gentleman who has just inherited his late cousin Ambrose’s estate and a valuable collection of jewels.  After Ambrose’s widow Rachel arrives from Italy, having been left nothing by Ambrose, Philip begins to develop affection for her.  Not all are convinced that Rachel has innocent motives for coming to England – especially when Philip begins to show signs of a similar sickness to that which killed Ambrose.

Director John Appleton says “It’s a story that’s perfect for the stage, full of intrigue and some great characters.  It melds the suspense of Agatha Christie with some grit and realism - something I think that our audiences will enjoy from start to finish.”

The show runs from 29^th October to 3^rd November, and stars James Errington as Philip, Olivia Bowern as Rachel and Royalty newcomers Peter Wilson and Stephanie Cubello as Nick and Louise Kendall.

Tickets are £8/£6.50 in advance, and can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366 (booking fee applies). 
Tickets purchased on the door are £9/£7.50 

Romeo and Juliet - Review - People's Theatre

Romeo and Juliet

People's Theatre
2nd Oct 2018

Romeo and Juliet is my least favourite Shakespeare play. I confess to disappointment that this was the People's Theatre choice this year.  I am in a minority. It's a crowd pleaser, everyone loves Romeo and Juliet except me. I think my dislike must stem from a bad production seen some time ago. And possibly Leonardo Di Caprio can shoulder some of the blame. I am always impatient with the fickleness of the characters, and the unreasonable feud. Do any of them even know why the two families don't like each other?

So it takes something special to get me on side for this one. Would People's Theatre be able to sway me from my prejudiced outlook?


Director Anna Dobson took her inspiration from the BBC's Peaky Blinders, bringing the play into post war 20th Century. This gives plenty of reasons for unrest and dissatisfaction in life to account for the many grudges and battles between opposing factions, and gives the wardrobe and set builders the opportunity to be a little more creative. No doublets and pantaloons here, and no rose covered balcony. The set is industrial, with barrels, packing cases and chains in place of the streets of Verona and rosy arbours. The cast are dressed in Tweeds and flat caps, swords replaced with flick knives and cudgels. The women dressed beautifully in furs and lace.
And in the background haunting Nick Cave tunes.

You know the plot - The Montagues and Capulets create fear and mayhem in the streets of Verona, violence erupting whenever the two factions meet. But two meet and fall in love - Romeo, a Montagu, and Juliet a Capulet. They enlist the help of Friar Laurence who marries them in secret. Meanwhile Juliet's father has brokered a marriage agreement with Paris.
I won't be spoiling the plot if I tell you it doesn't end well.

Craig Fairbairn and Emma Jayne Richards sizzle on stage with barely controlled passion in their scenes, capturing and conveying to all around, the immediacy of their attraction to each other and the all-consuming nature of their love.

Richard Jack gives an exceptional performance as the hot tempered and lewd Mercutio- the friend whose temper and loyalty contribute to the tragedy.

It is a fast paced, visually stunning and beautifully executed production. Did the team succeed in impressing me with their Romeo And Juliet? They did. They played a peaky blinder.

It runs until Saturday 6th October.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Season Preview - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2018/19 SEASON 

The Royalty Theatre have announced the programme for their 2018/19 season, and it is a strong programme with a great mix of plays which we are very much looking forward to!

They begin a packed season with classic comedy No Sex Please, We’re British. 

The farce by Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott kicks off a season that theatre bosses believe has something for everyone.  It’s joined in the comedy stakes by May’s Barefoot in the Park, the film version of which starred Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

For fans of suspense drama, Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel will be performed in October and November, and the time-honoured favourite Dial M for Murder is the Royalty’s March offering.  Hobson’s Choice in February and Jane Austen’s Emma in June add to the drama.

The annual pantomime this year is Jack and The Beanstalk by local writer David Farn.

Once again, the studio is put to use for intimate small scale productions with the premier in  January of Billy Towers’ Mary, Mary, based on the life of Jack the Ripper victim Mary Kelly.  April’s studio production is John Godber and Jane Thornton’s Shakers (Re-stirred)

Thanks to the popularity of last year’s A Night at the Musicals, The Royalty are reprising this for two nights only on September 7^th and 8^th.

Visiting companies include Pink Floyd tribute act What the Floyd, appearing on 5^th October.  Sunderland Stages return to the Royalty with Red Ladder Theatre’s The Damned United, the story of Sunderland and Middlesbrough legend Brian Clough’s ill-fated 44 days at Leeds United, on 13^th and 14^th November.

Artistic Director Nikki Slack says, “We’re now raring to go for the 2018-19 season. We have a year packed with a range of diverse plays that will appeal to all. Recent media has been much focussed on equality and ‘Girl Power’ is certainly coming back with a bang! Our programme of plays this coming season shines the spotlight on our female talent from more female-centred plays to our female directors and technicians.”

Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre.  
Tickets for The Damned United are available from the Sunderland Stages website.

Brighton Rock - Northern Stage - Review

Brighton Rock 
Northern Stage
1st May 2018

Adapted by Bryony Lavery from the novel by Graham Greene
Directed by Esther Richardson
Music by Hannah Peel
Design by Laura Perks
Lighting by Aideen Malone

Brighton Rock is a dark thriller set in the night clubs and coffee houses of Brighton. In this production from Pilot Theatre and York Theatre Royal the staging is atmospheric, and dramatic. Each component adds to the overall effect - a brooding representation of Brighton Pier hunches over the stage, transforming from pier to bar, to nightclub, classy hotel to the gang's squat. It harbours the musicians playing soulful jazz and blues, threatening beats and the thump of hoof beats. Every change in the lighting, every sound - musical and percussive -adds something to the atmosphere and tension. Nothing is wasted.

We watch as Pinkie (James Jacob Beswick) - just seventeen years old  - fights to make his name and take his place in the hierarchy of gangland Brighton. Beswick swaggers across the stage, chest and chin out in a display of youthful yet chilling bravado. As his plans begin to unravel he becomes increasingly violent and threatening and his posturing increases to almost a caricature. He is violent and cruel and ambitious, scheming to keep control of the gang, he learns to distrust everyone and sees any kind of emotional attachment as weakness. He demands loyalty but lacks trust and in the end this turns everyone except Rose against him.

Against his darkness we have Rose (Sarah Middleton), naïve and loyal and utterly in love with Pinkie and Ida (Gloria Onitiri) older, worldly wise and moral. She is the force for good in the play - fighting for justice for the murdered Hale - a man she had known only a few hours. She sees the truth and fights for it. She fights for Rose and against Pinkie, despite the obvious danger. Her spirituality contrasts starkly with the repressive Catholicism of Pinkie and Rose. In her bright red dress she is a splash of bright colour on the stage, and a force for good in the play.

The play moves inexorably towards tragedy for Rose and Pinkie and yet there are moments of beauty and humour within it. The choreographed routines in the clubs perfectly evoke the sleazy, seedy Brighton night life, while Pinkie and Rose's wedding night scene is touchingly evocative and just for a moment we almost feel that he could be redeemed.

The ending is a suitably dramatic and suspenseful climax to a clever and thought provoking play.
It can be seen at Northern Stage until 5th May and then the tour moves on to Theatr Clwyd, Derby theatre and finally The Lowry, Salford.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Go Back For Murder - Review - People's Theatre

Go Back for Murder
People's Theatre
16th Jan 2018

There's nothing like a bit of murder and suspicion to start the year off and The People's Theatre have it down to a fine art with the annual Agatha Christie mystery. This year they have chosen Go Back to Murder - in which the crime has been committed, and the suspect tried and sentenced 16 years earlier. But has the right person been convicted?

Carla le Marchant (Ri McArdle)  receives a letter on her 21st birthday, written by her mother just before she died. In the letter her mother Caroline Crale professes her innocence of the crime of which she was convicted. She did not murder Carla's father Amyas Crale. The contents of the letter are a shock to Carla and to her fiancé. His reaction - magnanimous, but perhaps insincere - prompts her to begin an investigation to prove her mother's innocence.

And so she meets with the six people who were there at the time of her father's death to try to piece together what happened, and solve the puzzle of her father's death and her mother's conviction. As she speaks to each one begins to piece together an impression of her parents' relationship with each other and their friends. Like a patchwork quilt, there are many threads and many little pieces that come together to make something.  Carla becomes more and more convinced of her mother's innocence and we, the audience, begin to see that the six people involved each had a motive for murder. But who had the opportunity, and why if she was not the guilty party did Caroline not put up more of  a fight in court?

This is a rather sedentary play, since there is no dramatic murder on stage, it relies on dialogue rather than action to progress the story. But there is also passion, jealousy, betrayal, love and loyalty played out within the words. A simple split set and clever spotlighting create atmosphere and build suspense.

The characters are diverse, and each one is played convincingly. Stand out performances for me come from Catherine Ellis as Angela Matthews, convincing as both the rebellious 14year old and the older, more cynical adult; Karen Elliot as the formidable Miss Williams and Gordon Mounsey as the rather prickly and supercilious Philip Blake.

By the end of Act One I had a good idea of who the true murderer might be...in Act Two I began to doubt. In true Christie style the finger of suspicion points at everyone as the play progresses - it seems I had fallen for one of the many red herrings! A testament to Christie's skill as a writer, and to the direction of Philip Bradley, we are misdirected and kept guessing to the very end.

Go Back for Murder plays until Sat 20th. Go see if you can do better than I did at solving the puzzle. I bet you can't!

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - Go Back For Murder - People's Theatre

The People's Theatre are set to start the New Year with the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie! Their January whodunnits always prove popular, and last year’s The Unexpected Guest delighted audiences with its gripping twists and turns. 

In GO BACK FOR MURDER, Carla le Merchant is determined to find out the truth about who murdered her father. It’ll keep you guessing until the end, and promises to be lots of fun along the way!

 
So who is in the frame for the murder of Amyas Crale? Only six people were present when he was poisoned. It must have been one of them.






Caroline Crale? The wife he cheated on, who was found guilty of poisoning him. However, in a letter from her prison deathbed she told her daughter Carla that she was innocent of the crime. Was she telling the truth?

Meredith Blake? An old friend of the family who harboured a secret passion. He was an amateur herbalist and distilled his own poisons. Did he administer the deadly hemlock?

Philip Blake? A confirmed bachelor and best friend of Amyas. He was once briefly in love with Caroline but she rejected him in favour of Amyas.  Did long-standing jealousies finally lead to revenge? 

Elsa Greer? The lover of Amyas and model for his final painting. They were having a passionate relationship - did that passion boil over into murder?

Warren? The 14-year old stepsister of Caroline Crale. She was jealous of Amyas’ relationship with her sister and was being sent away to school. Is that a motive for murder in a teenager’s mind?

Miss Williams? The governess to Angela who disapproved of Amyas’ affairs. She was strongly protective of Angela and Caroline. Could that make her a killer? 




PHOTOS: Paula Smart

LISTINGS INFORMATION –
Go Back For Murder by Agatha Christie
DATE:   Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 January 2018
TIME:   7.30pm
VENUE: People’s Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF
TICKETS:  £13.50 (Concessions £11)
BOX OFFICE:  0191 265 5020
WEBSITE:  www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

And Then There Were None - Review - Royalty Theatre

And Then There Were None

Royalty Theatre 
19th September 2017

The stage is set for Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" - as the house lights dim, the stage lights come up to reveal a drawing room, the furniture covered in dust sheets, curtains drawn across French windows. Two servants enter and begin to remove the sheets - Mr and Mrs Rogers (Lee Wilkins and Emma McLeary) are preparing for the arrival of house guests, they reveal that the hosts have been detained and that the first of the guests are due to arrive.
Fred Narracot (Ben Gettins), the local boatman, has delivered the supplies and is sent off to bring the guests across by boat. The house - Soldier House - is set on an island accessible only by boat, and with no telephone or other means of communication with the outside world. Eight guests are expected, they are all strangers to each other, their only connection that they have been invited to stay at the house by the hosts Mr and Mrs Owen, and that  each one has a secret from their past, a secret they would rather no-one else knew about. These secrets will have dire consequences for each guest and the Rogers.

Act One introduces the characters one by one, the glamorous Vera Claythorne (Helen Bowie) and the suave Philp Lombard (James Errington) arriving together, followed by the spoiled rich boy Anthony Marstsen (David Ford), the South African millionaire Mr Davis, alias William Blore, ex policeman (John Appleton), the eccentric General McKenzie (David Armstrong), self righteous Emily Brent (Christine Appleton), the superior Judge Lawrence Wargrave, and the very nervy Dr Armstrong (Chris Renney). They are a disparate group in both social standing and character, with no obvious connection and seemingly no idea why they have been brought together on the island. Each one has a different story as to how they were invited. As the act progresses their characters are revealed leading to the surprising climax of the act - an anonymous recording revealing each ones' secret, the accusations against them, and the death of the first victim. As the characters realise that one of the soldiers on the mantel is missing the lights go down silhouetting them against the windows of the drawing room, and the curtain falls on Act One. It is a dramatic end to the Act.

In Act Two the bodies begin to pile up as characters drop like flies. Suspicions rise, accusations fly and tempers flare as the horror of their situation dawns and one by one the characters fall.

The tension and suspense are nicely done. Seeming friendships and alliances are formed and lost as suspicion grows. Outbursts of anger and frustration hint at who the killer might be - perhaps Mr Rogers or Vera Claythorne? Or perhaps Dr Armstrong or Philip Lombard? Everyone is a suspect. The only certainty is that those who have already died cannot be the murderer.  Or can they?

There are some strong performances - particularly by Lee Wilkins, Helen Bowie, James Errington and Andrew Barella, though to be fair everyone in the cast gives a decent performance. Dramatic and timely use of sound and lighting enhance the tension throughout. The stage set is uncluttered and the costumes pleasingly understated (apart from the swaggering Philip Lombard - that blue suit is a killer!).  Billy Towers and Abbi Laidler direct with a deceptively light touch.

A solid opening for the Royalty's new season. If you have not read the book, this will keep you guessing - if not whodunit, then why and how?
And Then There Were None runs until Sat 23rd Sept.
Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - And Then There Were None - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE TO PRODUCE AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Helen Bowie  

(picture credit Royalty Theatre)

The Royalty Theatre will open their 2017/18 season with a production of the Agatha Christie hit And Then There Were None.

The mystery thriller by the world’s bestselling author (which was recently made into a BBC mini-series starring Charles Dance, Miranda Richardson, and Aiden Turner) follows a group of strangers invited to stay at a house on a remote island.  Each is revealed to have a dark secret buried in their past – but when the guests begin to die one-by-one in mysterious circumstances, it becomes clear that the murderer may be one of them.

Director Billy Towers says, “And Then There Were None is a classic Agatha Christie thriller. Although first published as a novel in 1934, the passage of time has not dimmed its suspense, mystery or the brilliantly drawn characters which make for a great thriller. It’s a tremendous example of the thriller genre at its best, and one I can confidently call it a timeless classic.”

The play features a large cast, including Helen Bowie as Vera Claythorne, James Errington as Philip Lombard and Andrew Barella as Justice Lawrence Wargrave. 

And Then There Were None runs from 18^th to 23rd September.

Tickets can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366.

Royalty Theatre - New Season - Preview

2017/18 Season Preview
Royalty Theatre

The Royalty team never shy away from staging plays that challenge their performers and their audiences. Their 93rd season is no exception. There are some dark and chilling tales coming up with a spattering of comedy to lighten the mood.

The season kick starts fairly safely with an Agatha Christie classic. And Then There Were None is widely considered to be Christie's masterpiece and her darkest tale. The tension and suspense builds throughout to the climactic reveal. Who is next on the list of casualties and just who is killing off the guests? And Then There Were None runs from Sept 18th - 23rd.

From Agatha Christie they move to Dennis Potter's Blue Remembered Hills. A chilling drama set in the Forest of Dean in the summer of 1943. Childish games take sinister turn. Not supernatural but definitely something evil here, a good choice for Halloween and Guy Fawkes week it runs from Oct 30th to Nov 4th.

Christmas and the Panto Season rescue us from the darkness for a spell, thrusting us into the adventures of Dick Whittington, and a more light-hearted battle of good and evil. Will the streets be paved with gold? Maybe, maybe not, but the stage will be paved with song, dance and jokes from 7th- 17th December. Oh yes, it will...

New year brings more murder and madness with a studio production of Shelagh Stephenson's Five Kinds of Silence.  This dark play explores the damaged relationship between a man and his family. Its claustrophobic atmosphere makes it a perfect choice for staging in the studio. It runs from 24th to 27th Jan.

February brings a Pulitzer Prize winning play - The Rabbit Hole by David Lindsey-Abair. This play deals with the nature of grief and investigates with drama and humour how different family members cope with loss. From Feb 19th-24th.

The second half of the season takes a lighter turn with Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense. This Goodall Brothers adaptation of  this PG Wodehouse tale runs from Mar 19th to 24th.

Their second studio production is a touching and witty fictional account of the Occupy London Protests of 2011. Temple by Steve Waters occupies the stage from 25th-28th April.

From a very British crisis we move to a typically English farce in Move Over Mrs Markham by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. Two couples separately arrange to use a friend's flat to meet up with their lovers...confusion and hilarity ensue between 21st - 26th May.

The final show of the season is Mike Kenney's adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. A great family show with Mole, Badger, Ratty and of course, Toad of Toad Hall. Explore the Wild Wood with them from 25th -30th June.

As well as the main programme, there are a number of one off performances including a concert by soprano Joanna Forest and an Open Clasp production of Rattle Snake from Sunderland Stages in October,  and in July there is the opportunity to see work by Lee Stewart, one of the Royalty's regular actor/directors as they stage his latest play There's Someone Coming Through.


All the details are available on the Royalty website. Tickets are available now and can be booked online or in person at the box office - times and dates are listed on the site. At under a tenner a ticket it's a night at the theatre that won't break the bank.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Oliver Twist - Royalty Theatre - Review

Oliver Twist
Royalty Theatre
19th June 2017


The Royalty's season finale is an adaptation by Jeremy Brock of Dickens' much loved tale of Oliver Twist.
A challenging play to stage for an amateur stage society - not least because of the association most people will have with the Lionel Bart musical, and the preconceptions that will bring. Fortunately the setting on stage has more in common with recent televised Dickens drama - with their dismal, murky interiors than with the old fashioned Hollywood musical style. Dicken's works are filled with dark settings, and larger than life characters. It's a big ask to find actors for all the parts and the Royalty cast list is 21 strong with many doubling up (I advise buying a programme to keep track of them all).


Just as some of the actors are playing more than one part, so too is the stage - all the scenes are played out on just one set. This is cleverly conceived and manages to serve as the workhouse, the undertakers shop, Fagin's lair, the courthouse and the house in Chertsey, as well as various London Streets. It's a tall order, but it works well, giving the flavour of Dicken's world rather than the actuality, and avoids any cumbersome scenery changes. Lighting is used to great effect - with spotlights highlighting characters and leaving the rest of the stage in darkness where the background scenery would be a distraction. Characters enter from either side, and from the top of two stairways as if from the alleyways of London, the corridors of the Workhouse, and from a set of double doors at the back of the stage for the grand entrances. This creates a sense of space beyond the stage with characters arriving from different directions and on different levels.

These characters are the usual mix of good, bad, ugly and beautiful people from Dicken's imagination. They are in some sense caricatures of humanity and some play this aspect to its fullest - David Armstrong as Monks is a kind of terrifying Ray Whinstone character as he delivers hoarse threats to Fagin, Bill and Mr Bumble, and Billy Towers' Fagin limps and shuffles his way through the play with false camaraderie and obsequious double talking. Bill Sikes, played by Jordan Carling is not the most dislikeable character in the play, he comes across as a hard desperate man but there is a sense of lostness about him which is evident in the short scene after the botched burglary where Bill, recovering from a fever, reveals his dependence on Nancy (Abbi Laidlar). Nancy, in her bright red dress provides a rare splash of colour. It's also indicative of her fate, a bloody death for trying to bring Oliver out of the dark existence that Fagin, Bill and Monks have set for him.

Oliver Twist, of course is the face of real beauty and true innocence and is played by Becky Lindsay - casting a girl as the lead character is another clever move, as it does give Oliver that unusually sweet appearance.

 Artful Dodger looks the part in his dapper tails and his top hat poised at such a precariously jaunty angle that I worried he would lose it off at some point.  I did wonder if actor Aidan Evans had similar concerns as he lounged rather nonchalantly against scenery, however he displays some pretty fancy footwork in the demonstration of "The Game" to Oliver and his hat stays safely in place!


There is a lot of story to fit into a short time with this play, and at times it is a little disjointed - there are one or two deviations from the book as I remember it (though I admit it is a few years since I read it). The sheer volume of characters and subplots can be a tad befuddling, but credit goes to Thomas Potts as The Narrator who comes in at opportune moments to introduce characters, set scenes, fill gaps and sum up.

This is a challenge to end their season, and they made a fair stab at it. Good fun, a few surprises and plenty of drama.

Oliver Twist runs until Sat 24th June. Curtain up is at 7.30pm each evening and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. At just £8 a ticket it is well worth a visit. Tickets are available online or on the door.

Denise Sparrowhawk

The Unexpected Guest - The People's Theatre - Review

The Unexpected Guest
The People's Theatre
17th Jan 2017





Somewhere in the remote welsh countryside wreathed in fog, a man blunders into a house seeking help. Lost in the fog he has run his car into a ditch and sought out the nearest house to beg use of a telephone and possibly a bed for the night. Unfortunately for him the house he finds is  the scene of a very recent murder...

The scene is set -  a fog of dry ice hangs in the air in the auditorium, on stage a room in darkness, a figure in an invalid chair silhouetted against the dim light from French windows. Someone knocks at a door, a voice calls out and a figure appears entering tentatively shining a torch into the room and speaking to the person in the chair. When no response is forthcoming he shines the torch at the person asking if he is asleep...he gasps and scrabbles to find a light switch. the man in the chair is dead, and in the corner stands a woman holding a pistol.

And so begins The Unexpected Guest begins. Richard Warwick has been murdered. His wife confesses to the unexpected guest but instead of phoning for the police he helps her establish an alibi and comes up with a plan to blame the murder on an old enemy. We have no idea why he would do this. he has no connection to the family - he seems simply taken with the beauty of the lady of the house and opts to help her. The alibi is set, the rest of the house are roused to discover the grisly murder and the police are called. In the morning each member of the household is called to account for their whereabouts at the time of the murder. Questioned by Inspector Thomas it becomes apparent that everyone in the household knows something more than they are telling.

The audience has the advantage of knowing that the story given by Laura Warwick and Michael Starkwedder (the unexpected guest) is a complete fabrication, and little by little we discover that Laura's confession is also false (that's not really a spoiler it is clear she is covering for someone, again, the question is who?).  So who in the household is the murderer? Everyone has a motive, Richard Warwick it is revealed was a despicable and cruel man, spoilt by his life of privilege and further ruined by the accident that took away that privileged life.
The characters one by one reveal their hands, the blackmailer, the lover, the all knowing "loyal" retainer, the downtrodden and the diminished family members. Each one played beautifully, revealing just as much or as little as needed to keep the audience guessing. Red herrings and false trails abound, and Inspector Thomas methodically works his way through the evidence - you feel certain that he will eventually unearth the truth. His doggedness is complemented by the the poetic Sargent Cadwallader. Steve Hewitt and Richard Gardner are a delight throughout, playing the two policemen systematically providing the audience with information, highlighting clues, revealing motives, illuminating character and background.

Other standout performances for me were Sam Hinton as the mysterious, unexpected guest Michael Starkwedder and Callum Mawston as the ingenuous, childlike Jan Warwick, though all the performances were well played and convincing. Jess Chapman and Vanessa Aiken have produced a tense mystery which leaves the audience guessing throughout. Excellent.

The Unexpected Guest is visiting The People's Theatre until Sat 21st Jan.

Denise Sparrowhawk
Photographs courtesy of Paula Smart

One Man, Two Guvnors - People's Theatre - Review

One Man, Two Guvnors
People's Theatre
4th Oct 2016

Pay attention because this plot needs concentration!
The year is 1963, the location is Brighton. Francis Henshall has just been dumped from his skiffle band. In need of food and money he accepts a job as a minder for Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hoodlum. Crabbe is in Brighton to attend his own engagement party and collect £6K from his fiancées father (Charlie "the Duck" Clench). This is something of a surprise to the engagement party since they believed Crabbe to be dead - murdered no less, and they are caught celebrating the engagement of Clench's daughter Pauline someone else. (Well, the sausage rolls were already paid for). Pretty straight forward so far? Wait, there's more. Ever on the lookout to make an easy bob or two Henshall accepts another job with Stanley Stubbers, a well to do crook who is hiding out at the Cricketers Arms, waiting for his girlfriend to arrive with the money for them to escape to Australia. This is where it gets complicated and you need to concentrate, Henshall has to make sure his two bosses don't find out he's moonlighting so he has to keep them apart. However, Stanley Stubbers is hiding out because he is the murderer of Roscoe Crabbe. The girlfriend he is waiting for is none other than Roscoe Crabbe's sister Rachel, who is currently masquerading as her brother in order to get hold of the six grand to pay for their tickets to Australia.

This play is full to the brim with everything from pantomime slapstick, farce, one-liners, and recurring jokes that just get funnier every time we hear them. It begins sedately enough, and if not for the lost skiffle band at the very beginning, we'd be forgiven for thinking this is not a comedy after all. But then Francis Henshall arrives at the party and the tone changes. Richard Gardner as Henshall bursts onto the stage in his checked suit, a stark contrast to the dark suited, somewhat sinister gentlemen at the party. His performance is full of energy and we are swept along with him as he tries in vain to keep his head above water and his two guvnors apart.

The whole play is a joy to watch - from the slapstick humour and asides to audience it has us laughing out loud. We begin to anticipate the jokes, knowing what's coming as Henshall invents his ludicrous stories to cover his tracks and trips at every step.

He is supported by a brilliant cast, Nathan Hussain as the flamboyant would-be actor Alan, and the vacuous Pauline played so well by Emma Jane Richards, Melanie Dagg as the savvy bookkeeper Dolly to name but a few.

Scene changes are cleverly covered by great performances by the skiffle band, with guest appearances by various cast members.

First time director David Downing has done a marvellous job with this play. It moves at a dizzying pace and the timing is spot on.

One Man, Two Guvnors plays till Sat 8th Oct. Come see it - you will chortle.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Sweeney Todd - The Elephant Tea Rooms - Review

Sweeney Todd
Elephant Tea Rooms, Sunderland
6th Sept 2016

 

Last night we were invited to a dress rehearsal of a new production of Sweeney Todd - in a tea room of all places. A tea room? I must admit, not having been to The Elephant Tea Rooms before, I was imagining quaint china and lacey tablecloths. It didn't quite fit as my idea of a venue for Sweeney Todd. A Miss Marple Investigates seemed a more appropriate production...Just goes to show you should never make assumptions. The Elephant Tea Rooms is no quaint teashop. It is interesting and quirky with big old oak tables and a mish-mash of different chairs, and dimly lit  (though the subdued lighting may have been deliberate for the evening's entertainment - perhaps during the day it is bright and cheery?) Perhaps a macabre murder might fit after all. The ambience was definitely not Miss Marplish!
 

And so among the tables and chairs (filled by the family and friends of the cast for this dress rehearsal, plus a couple of reviewers) and with the backdrop of a selection of exotic teas, the action began. Dramatic, we are plunged straight in as Anthony and Mr Todd disembark from a ship and say their farewells - Anthony to go onwards to Plymouth and Todd to 'a thing he must do'. He is anxious to be away and brusque with a friend who saved his life. Immediately we are aware of mystery and an urgency around Mr Todd.

 

The drama and suspense builds throughout this intriguing production, cast members are seated in amongst the audience, rising slowly to sing the ensemble pieces, and moving between the tables making eye contact with members of the audience, at times speaking to them and including them in the action. It is in your face theatre and there is nowhere to hide from it - so if you have a ticket be prepared to be included in the drama (especially if you have a lot of, or too little, hair, or a beard in need of a trim!)

 

There are so many good performances in this but if I have to single out any for special attention, then I particularly like Jenni Winter as Nellie Lovett - she was a delight with her self deprecating attitude to being the purveyor of "the worst pies in London"  and as she proffers mischievous yet down to earth advice on how to dispose of the bodies. Liam Gilbert as Todd has a marvellous voice and portrays perfectly the many aspects of the barber's unbalanced character. Marie Swan, the Beggar Woman, has the interaction with the audience spot on, eliciting a great mix of interest and discomfort in those she chooses to grace with her attention. Altogether the cast are a grand mix of flawed characters, each adding to the sinister and macabre story.

The asylum scene was excellent - a cacophony of shrieks and cries that makes you positively uncomfortable.

 

This is a macabre story, but it is also full of humour - albeit dark - so there are some chuckles and the odd belly laugh in amongst the gasps of horror. This is probably just as well for those of you who are partaking of a pie or two while watching (I'm not sure how conducive Sweeny Todd is to good digestion!).   

 

Tuesday night was the dress rehearsal, and the first full run through the cast had had in the venue. There were a couple of minor hiccups but nothing drastic, and considering the tight production schedule, they have done a fantastic job. Under the direction of Matthew Rankcom they have produced an impressive and  quite unique theatrical experience. If you are going along you are in for a treat and a half - but don't worry, we have it on good authority that the meat in the pies is beef...

Cast
Sweeney Todd - Liam Gilbert
Jenni Winter - Nellie Lovett
Stephen Stokoe - Judge Turpin
Shaun Crosby - Beadle Bamford
Gemma Hutchinson/marie Swan - Beggar Woman
Lewis Harley - Tobias Ragg
Jamie Douglass - Adolpho Pirelli
Matthew Rankcom - Anthony
Emily Miller - Johanna
Ashleigh Bentham   )
Cat Louise Moody   ) Ensemle
Steve Udale            )

Sweeney Todd plays at the Elephant Tea Rooms till the 10th Sept.

Denise Sparrowhawk