A Tomb with a View

It has been some time since I last attended a performance by the Phoenix Players. As the former Regional Representative for District Five, it was always a pleasure to support and enjoy their productions. Therefore, I was especially delighted to attend A Tomb with a View in my current role as Regional Councillor for the West Midlands.

The play, written by Norman Robbins—who, I believe, corresponded with the group prior to opening night—was first produced in 1978. It remains a fine example of dark comedy with a wonderfully suspenseful edge.

The play is set in a sinister old library presided over by a portrait of a grim-faced, mad-eyed old man. From the moment I entered the auditorium, the set, representing the library at Monument House, immediately impressed me. It was superbly constructed and entirely worthy of its own round of applause—complete with a fireplace, empty bookshelves (including a secret door), and well-placed furniture. The ‘grim-faced, mad-eyed old man’ portrait was particularly striking. Congratulations to Adam Clarke and Graham Robson for their excellent set design—and well done to everyone involved in bringing it to life.

The story centres around the reading of the will of Septimus Tomb, the grim-faced patriarch, by the family solicitor Hamilton Penworthy—played with a suitably stuffy air by Rob Warnes.

Trying to take control of the increasingly chaotic family was Graham Robson as the bumbling, eccentric, and delightfully over-the-top Lucien Tomb, who dabbles in scientific experiments. The rest of the family were equally bizarre and managed to make The Addams Family look rather normal by comparison!

Lisa Maxwell played Dora Tomb with great relish, taking a chilling pleasure in poisoning guests with her homemade wine and burying them in the rose garden.

Karen McDonald enthusiastically threw everything (literally!) into her performance as the somewhat nymphomaniac Monica Tomb.

Philip Leigh gave a commanding performance as Marcus Tomb, the toga-wearing sibling who believed himself to be Julius Caesar—a role that would not have been out of place in Stratford-upon-Avon’s better known theatre.

Emily Tomb, another sinister (but slightly saner) member of the family, was believably portrayed by Hannah McBride. While several characters met unfortunate ends during the play, none were quite as memorable as the deadly apple incident!

Though we never saw Oliver Tomb in person, we certainly heard him—Dylan Beecher’s offstage howling added a perfectly unsettling note to his character’s belief that he was a werewolf. What a family!

Eloise Essig, as the resident nurse, was just a little too nice to be true from the outset. Her character was well developed throughout, leading to a satisfying twist at the play’s conclusion when all was revealed.

No wackey household would be complete without a loyal housekeeper, and Fiona Robson did not disappoint as Agatha Hammond—more than willing to cover up the murders out of loyalty to the family.

Adding to the confusion from the start were Madeleine Williams as Freda Mountjoy and Adam Rastall as Peregrine Potter. Both gave strong performances as author and agent—though which was which remained part of the fun!

Props were well chosen and complemented the tone of the play. Special mention must go to Lisa Clifford for the creation of the ‘prop head’—a brilliantly macabre piece that bore an uncanny resemblance to Graham Robson. One can only wonder whether it’s now a centrepiece in the Robson household!

There were a few minor stumbles—occasional missed lines and some overlapping dialogue—but the prompt remained silent, and the cast handled the moments with teamwork.

Costumes were effective and appropriate for the period, while lighting and sound complemented the overall performance nicely.

In conclusion, congratulations to the Phoenix Players on delivering an enjoyable evening filled with twists, turns, and the very best of dark humour.

Thank you for the invitation—it was a pleasure to attend, and I was delighted to catch up with members of the cast and committee after the show.

And of course, as with all good amateur theatre groups, it’s on to the next production—Hey Day in October 2025. I hope to see you there!

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