Go Back For Murder

At point of entry to the playhouse, I had a very warm greeting from a leading member of the cast, who was also very busy ensuring the audience were looked after in the bar area. The team spirit within this company is most evident. Inside the auditorium I observed the set design, a single level set that created two separately lit, shoebox sized offices. 

The play tells the story of a young Canadian girl, Carla Crale, who arrives in England with a single letter from her late mother, Caroline Crale, who died in prison while serving life for killing her husband .The letter declares that she is innocent and Carla, aided by Justin Fogg,( who as a young solicitor fell in love with Caroline), persuades those present that fatal day, to return to the scene of the crime to find out what really happened. Carla’s solicitor, Justin Fogg, played by Adam Woodward, became the narrator of the story in classic murder mystery seriousness, complete with spotlights for intensity purposes, as he guided us through events and happenings of 1949. Act 1 was a series of episodic scenes with Carla interviewing those that she believed to be suspects before inviting them all to the scene of the crime to re-enact the poisoning, trying to tie new information to the little knowledge of the past she had gained from her mother’s letter. In a passionate attempt to clear her mother’s name, Carla persuades those present on the day of her father’s death to return to the scene of the crime and go back 16 years to recount their version of events.

Act 2 takes the audience back in time to the scene of the crime where we watch the last days of her father, Amyas Crale at Carla’s childhood home in the west of England. The set became visual and light, the garden room setting, and the  airy courtyard   used as the artist’s working area.
Centre stage throughout is Christina Peake, playing both Carla and her mother Caroline in flashback. She is most convincing as the latter, but gives a charming, focused performance as Carla with an audible Canadian accent that was flawless. She had the biggest challenge, switching between the roles of Carla, a modern miss and her very English, awfully demure mother, Caroline who witnessed her marriage crumbling before her eyes. Lady Elsa Melksham was played superbly by Becky Higgs in a relaxed, alluring, playful tease, appropriately cynical in Act 1 and as the young Elsa, her histrionics make her a less compelling and sympathetic character, a husband stealing minx. In the relationship between Amyas, his wife, and his mistress we see in the revealing plot in the end that Lady Elsa is a frighteningly dark woman with extremely high passions. In flashback in the second act, we meet the flamboyant Amyas Crale who was successfully convincing as  a self-centred womanising artist, that seemed instinctive. Rod gave a charming, polished performance in this role and was very animated. The death scene wasn’t overdramatic either, he seemed to collapse and die,without drawing attention to himself, quite naturally. He was a pleasure to watch. Earlier in the play Rod had demonstrated his versatility by adopting the role of Carla’s fiancé, a rather brusque, cocky chap who was interfering. Adam Woodward was enthusiastic in the key role of solicitor, Justin Fogg and captured the clipped English accent well. Whilst he believed the original verdict was correct, he was prepared to take a closer look at what happened on the day Carla’s father died. His performance was a confident one, very composed. 

Miss Williams was played convincingly as a motherly figure to all by Dawn Vigurs. Her sweet exterior was a mask she wore well to cover the knowledge she held. Sara Peltonen was more believable in the adult role but less so as the teenager. However, her spirited, active performance and her teasing, impulsive behaviour was well demonstrated. Other male characters, including Dave Mills as Meredith Blake and Christopher Waters who played his brother, Blake, provided the appropriate red herrings that are essential in Agatha Christie’s work. The final cast member, Robert Onions didn’t have a lot to do but as solicitor’s clerk, Turnbill, he was aptly placed.

Christopher Waters directed this play well. The set was promising at the start but it was in Act 2 where the play became more interesting and the charming characterisations engaged us. An enjoyable evening, thank you for inviting me.

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