A Night of Crime Theatre

I was really looking forward to seeing these two one act plays, produced by Leeds Arts Centre - I have to confess that it's been some years since I saw one of their productions. They were always top flight and I was not disappointed with their latest offering.

The first play, 'Stakeout', was a thrilling  two-hander by the writer, Simon Brett. The plot seems simple but there were red-herrings in abundance and the ultimate 'denouement' was classsic crime-writing at its very best.

Detective Sergeant Craig Downs, played superbly by Stuart Gordon, is nearing retirement - he is on his final stakeout to catch a serial killer, the 'Kilburn Killer'. He is the sort of 'been there-done that' kind of copper - Stuart managed to capture that world-weariness born of probably being in the job too long. He is joined on this job by Detective Inspector, Hayley Poulson, also played superbly by Enya Lucas. DS Downs is the traditional detective while DI Poulson is modern and it's clear from the outset that they won't agree as to how the investigation proceeds. These two actors commanded the audience's attention from the outset - the set was carefully constructed so that the actors were clearly seen (and heard) by the audience - video cameras and spying paraphernalia made the set believable. It was hard to decide who the murderer was likely to be and the actors kept us all on our toes until the last few minutes - a thrilling result made us all gasp! May I also add, I loved the use of theme tunes from a variety of crime dramas - This set the stage and really played up the crime influence.

The second play, 'Death in Character' by Stuart Ardern, was in sharp contrast to the first play. It was a pure 'whodunnit' but with plenty of comedy in the mix - thoroughly enjoyable and put over by lively, well-rehearsed and talented actors. The premise of the story was that Limelight Theatre Company were having their last committee meeting before their theatre closed for good. The Chair of the group, Richard Fielding, played here enthusiastically by Connor Houlton, tries to keep his fellow committee members on track but they insist on throwing jibes at one another as they recall great moments in their various productions. Two actors are the worst offenders - Mark Jones (played by Jim Duah) and Andy Gilham (played by Edward Corbbet) fool around, annoying the other members - they want the group to mount another pantomime, which had brought in plenty of revenue, but they are thwarted by Stella White, a lead actor and Wardrobe Mistress, (played by Pam Wilson) - who can't stand pantomime, however much money it makes. Diane Pierce (Played by Jo Scott) another leading lady and is also on the side of Stella - Angie Winterson as the group's secretary (played by Fiona Galloway) tries to add her own thoughts to the group's fortunes but is shouted down by the others. The meeting closes fractiously - later on Mark and Andy enter as the Pantomime Cow, dance around, until they are stopped in mid-flight by being struck down with a sandbag weight dropped from the flies!  Enter Detective Inspector Murray (played by Simon Henson) and his assistant, Detective Constable Kelly, (played by Jay Lockwood). There was much laughter as DI Murray interviews the suspects with some classic one-liners - at this stage, it could have been any of them, but finally, Stella confesses - she hates pantomimes and especially the cow!  This was great comedy, played here by experienced and clever actors - the secret of good comedy is to play it 'straight' - that way it encourages more reaction from the audience! 

Both plays, were directed superbly by Camilla Asher - clever sets, imaginative staging and above all, perfect teamwork with her actors. Production and Stage Manager was Sophie Clement; Sound and Lighting Design by George Miller (I particularly liked the 'rushing wind' sound in 'Stakeout'); Artwork by Emily Dewsnap; Publicity Officer, Spike Marshall; Rehearsal Prompts, Andrew Rowley and Jade Jeffreys; Prop and Costume Lead, Ryan Mehmi; Props and CostumeTeam, Louise Redfern and Marlowe Mitchell; Light Operation, George Miller; Sound Operation, Carrageworks Technicians; FOH Manager, Spike Marshall and Programme, Pam Wilson. I mention all these technicians because without their help and co-operation, the actors would have no backup for their stage appearance.

I must sincerely congratulate Leeds Arts Centre on a most professional production - it was a real treat!

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