"Love From A Stranger", Glasgow Theatre Royal, 26/6/18

Written for Backstage Pass:

http://www.backstagepass.biz/2018/06/theatre-review-love-from-stranger.html

First performed in 1936, Love From A Stranger presents us with Cecily Harrington (Helen Bradbury) who, following a financial windfall, heedlessly abandons her old life in search of adventure when she encounters titular stranger, Bruce Lovell (Sam Frenchum), moving with him to a remote country cottage. Cecily will come to learn, however, that Bruce is more than the romantic she thought him.

Adapted by Agatha Christie and Frank Vosper from an earlier Christie short story and play, Love From A Stranger is not one of Christie's typical whodunits though it is constructed around Christie's oft-utilised theme of identity with a naive woman at its centre. Some dialogue and situations may be somewhat dated and hard-to-believe for a modern audience but, as with all Christie, it is the mystery that continues to grasp the spectator.

Director Lucy Bailey's staging is a little uneven with the opening scene, apparently played for realism, a little staid. The remaining scenes, however, are more lively and entertainingly directed and include subtle farcical moments. But it is the final scene - a tremendously gripping tour de force - that is something else entirely: superior in every way, it is executed with precision even whilst it is slightly mind-boggling.  

The moody, evocative sets by Mike Britton are used cinematically by Bailey and they are enhanced by Oliver Fenwick's lighting. Bailey, besides introducing some staging contrivances, also elects to rely on sound to create atmosphere and tension. Fortunately sound designer and composer Richard Hammarton handles his duties well and often with subtlety.

There are strong, solid performances throughout the play with Helen Bradbury ably leading the troupe as seemingly naive 'Cecily' whilst Molly Logan ('Ethel') and Nicola Sanderson ('Louise Garrard') pepper welcome light relief throughout. Justin Avoth, as jilted fiance 'Michael Lawrence', and Sam Frenchum, as 'Bruce', proffer arresting performances with Frenchum reaching great heights in the denouement. That the assured company can bring so much out of Christie and Vosper's 1930's dialogue is nothing but a credit to all of them.

Though a little muddled in its staging, Love From A Stranger nevertheless evolves into a riveting, suspense-filled thriller with some awesome performances and it captures that mystery magic for which Agatha Christie remains justly famous.

"And Then There Were None", Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 19/10/15

Written for Backstage Pass:

http://www.backstagepass.biz/2015/10/theatre-review-and-then-there-were-none.html

Arguably considered Agatha Christie's masterpiece, And Then There Were None remains amongst the most well known of all crime fiction and is Christie's best-selling title. First staged in 1943, and adapted by Christie herself this production has been set in 1939 and has been slightly adapted from Christie's original script by the production company to surprising, positive effect.

The plot revolves around a group of strangers lured as guests to an isolated island where a mysterious voice announces judgement upon them for their apparent past "crimes". What follows is an excellent showcase for the plotting talents of the Queen of Crime as murder follows murder and paranoia blooms among the remaining guests. Of course, trying to work out whodunit is all part of the fun of an Agatha Christie plot and the play offers much for the avid audience member/armchair detective.

The Agatha Christie Theatre Company has been creating fine productions of Christie's plays for the past decade and this is no exception. With assured, confident direction by Joe Harmston, who plays up the humour in Christie's writing, the play is never lax in engaging with its audience. It is true that there are moments when the laughs may be unintentional but the style is, at times, almost tongue in cheek and this is rather welcome in this spirited production where such amusement offers contrast to the sudden shocks that Harmston delivers. He handles the pace of the production easily and uses the space very well, investing the production with deft touches not inherent in Christie's script.

The set design by Simon Scullion is attractive, evocative and well suits the Art Deco period and are a perfect backdrop to the elegant costumes designed by Roberto Surace. The  lighting by Douglas Kuhrt is atmospheric, redolent and subtle as is the sound by Matthew Bugg. The only excess in these departments is the heavy-handed use of Latin chanting at the climax of the play.

"And Then There Were None" is blessed with a strong cast led by the dominant performance of Paul Nicholas whose strength and stillness capture the character of "Sir Lawrence Wargrave" whilst his voice drips authority. Mark Wynter is equally as charismatic as "Doctor Armstrong" and is utterly striking as the flawed professional. Eric Carte, as "General Mackenzie", is another performer whose characterisation is perfectly balanced and whose delivery elevates Christie's text to near-poetry quality at times. Indeed, all the cast deliver the dialogue with ease and imbue the text with a quality that raises it above the sometimes dated language that typifies Christie's writing. Deborah Grant as "Emily Brent" is a prime example; surpassing the potential limitations in the period text effortlessly whilst Kezia Burrows overcomes the language in a more physical manner as "Vera Claythorne". Mark Curry, Colin Buchanan, Ben Nealon, Judith Rae and Jan Knightley all serve the play in an excellent manner whilst Tom McCarron, as "Anthony Marston", succeeds in overcoming the most stilted, archaic vocabulary present in the script, turning it into the most natural expression within the environment created onstage.

The build up of pressure and tension does threaten to enter over-the-top territory before the dénouement and it is here the play could be refined as could the slightly overdrawn ending, but the production is never boring, flat or uneventful and is a considered, consistent, thoroughly enjoying, often thrilling production that will appeal to more than just die-hard Agatha Christie fans.
There is a reason that And Then There Were None is one of the most famous stories in crime fiction and this sumptuous production showcases it well. Discover it for yourself ...

"Black Coffee", Theatre Royal Glasgow, 3/11/14

Review for Backstage Pass:


http://www.backstagepass.biz/2014/11/theatre-review-black-coffee-theatre.html


     Agatha Christie's first foray into playwriting was a reaction to her dislike at previous adaptations by others of her work. Rather than adapt one of her existing novels she instead created a totally new piece for the theatre. Unimpressed by previous portrayals of her creation "Poirot" she elected to place him into her play and show all how it should be done. The result was "Black Coffee" which premiered in 1930 and has been seen on occasion in repertory in the intervening years.
This new production has been running a little while now and continues its steady march around the UK with Jason Durr of "Heartbeat" fame replacing Robert Powell in the role of "Poirot".
     Plot-wise, Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are invited to the house of Sir Claude Amory in relation to the theft of a formula he has created. It is fortunate he did so as he is murdered only moments before the two arrive and Poirot is soon putting his "little grey cells" to use. It's quite the usual Christie fare complete with her typical light-hearted digs at foreigners and servants but her first effort at writing for the stage employ the gifts of structure and plotting that she was famed for to good effect.

     Simon Scullion's art deco set is appropriately sleek and contains some fine details such as the geometric rug and artwork while the costumes by Nikki Bird and the lighting by Douglas Kuhrt are appropriate and unobtrusive. The incidental music by Matthew Bugg is essentially pointless but inoffensive whilst his composition for the opening and closing of the acts is reminiscent of the main theme to the "Poirot" television show, complete with saxophone. No coincidence, methinks.
Joe Harmston's direction is assured and generally keeps events moving with only the second act threatening to drag slightly. Act three, however, quickly steps up the pace and brings the events of the play to a satisfying, if somewhat obvious, close.
     The cast are strong and one feels that they are having quite a bit of fun with it all with the humour being brought out of the text as much as possible. Of course, the play is of its time and no real effort has been made to fight against that fact and thus some of the acting can come across as heightened and a trifle melodramatic, if not hammy, but I don't really think this is a negative given the nature of this production. There are some rather dodgy accents which drop here and there but, again, this is part of the charm of the play.
     As "Poirot", Jason Durr was something of a surprise; although his accent is too French for a Belgian and marred a little of his diction, and his physicality needs a little work (his walk is too stiff at times) he is humorous and charming when appropriate and clearly plays the part with sincerity and, despite appearing too young for the role, he is a commanding presence whose interpretation comes across as a darker "Poirot" than one expects. His portrayal, rather than emulating David Suchet, echoes the performance of Albert Finney at times but is very much his own and, with a little more work, shows promise to be a great portrayal of Agatha Christie's most famous character.

     All in all this is an entertaining, glossy and sturdy production complete with enjoyable performances that serves as a wonderful introduction to the world of Agatha Christie on stage, replete with all the hallmarks that Dame Christie excelled at.

"The Mousetrap", Theatre Royal Glasgow, 15/9/14

A review written for Backstage Pass


http://www.backstagepass.biz/2014/09/theatre-review-mousetrap-theatre-royal.html


The 60th anniversary tour of the World's longest running play continues on as the London production approaches its 62nd anniversary in a production that is both nostalgic, classy, humorous and intriguing.

Whilst there are those who lament the continued success of "The Mousetrap" (yes, seriously) it remains one of the prime examples of the talents of Agatha Christie who, whilst never considering herself a great writer, never failed to create a puzzle that would capture the imagination of her readers and audiences.

Of course the play's plot and dialogue is of a certain period but that is part of its charm and the cast handle it very naturally whilst inhabiting a physical production with ease and energy. True, the play is the epitome of the country house whodunit, but ask yourself; so what? What is wrong with that? 

The attraction of the play is the conundrum that Christie presents in a world inhabited by ebullient characters that the audience clearly enjoy watching. It is no crime (pun intended) to be entertained by something that never pretends to be anything but frivolous fun.

The plot of the play revolves around several seemingly unconnected characters who end up in the same snow-bound guest house. Once ensconced within the walls of Monkswell Manor it is not long before Police Sergeant Trotter arrives to warn them all of the suspected presence of a murderer within their midst. At the close of act one that murderer strikes and the game is underway...

So successful is Christie in her plotting that the final reveal still elicits gasps from the audience. She is, no doubt, aided by the crisp direction of Ian Watt-Smith and his excellent cast, amongst whom there is no weak link. It is difficult to single out any one performer in such a strong ensemble and so I shan't. I shall instead say that Helen Clapp, Michael Fenner, Christopher Gilling, Luke Jenkins, Anne Kavanagh, Charlotte Latham, Henry Luxemburg and Stephen Yeo work very well together and inhabit their characters in a very natural way, utilising Christie's sometimes heightened language in a most appropriate manner, rendering what could be performed in a clichéd, hammy way into something that belongs far more in the realm of realism. Indeed it is only Christie's epilogue that breaks that illusion, but this is a minor quibble.

There must be a reason why the play has been so successful and you could do worse than to find it out for yourself.

'Murder On The Nile', Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 28/6/12

This is the first production of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company that I've seen, having missed all previous ventures and it was certainly a popular production with the audience.

Whilst there are some who will say that Christie's plays are dated and belong to another era, and in part they may be true, it is nice, once in a while, to revisit such examples of theatre especially in a production which understands such shortcomings in the modern world.

Director Joe Harmston's steadfast direction, complimented by the elegant, simple paddle steamer design by Simon Scullion, navigates Christie's script with a direct attitude peppered with moments where some of the larger-than-life characters are played tongue-in-cheek. Matthew Bugg's sound design is evocative of the locale ~(complate with some glorious unidentified Arabian music) and Mike Robertson's lighting and the costume's of Brigid Guy further compliment the production.

There are few moments when the dramatic action begins to lag but Harmston never allows them to last for long.

The cast are very able and engaging, dealing with the archaic dialogue with aplomb. Led by a superb Denis Lill as 'Canon Pennefather', who commands attention at all times, and Kate O'Mara as 'Miss ffoliot-ffoulkes' (complete with lower-case fs), who appears to relish her over-the-top posh snob of a character, the cast manaouvere steadily bringing archetypes to life with realitve ease.

Based on one of Christie's most famous books, 'Death on the Nile', it is easy to see why Christie elected to reduce the large number of characters featured and choose to combine characters and to modify the plot in order to streamline for the stage but it does come across as a not quite successful effort when compared to the glorious cinematic presentations that have gone before. That said it is still an enjoyable romp through whodunnit territory which is something I always enjoy.