Cause Célèbre by Terence Rattigan

On a sweltering Saturday afternoon I took a break from the endless heatwave and instead saw the matinee performance of this intricate play based on the true story of Alma Rattenbury who, together with her eighteen year old lover, was charged with the murder of her husband. The trial, in 1935 caused a huge scandal with Alma seen as a monstrously immoral scarlet woman, as much for her affair with the much younger man as the murder itself.

The play has Alma Rattenbury married to her much older third husband, employing George Wood aged 17 to help in the house. He soon becomes her lover. Later Alma’s husband is found bludgeoned to death. In separate scenes we see uptight, sexually repressed Edith Davenport, about to divorce her own husband for infidelity while struggling with her devotion to her hormonal teenage son who decides to live with his father. Edith is disgusted by the news stories about the scandal but becomes foreman of the jury.

It was a long play but the audience were engrossed throughout. The role of Alma is a delicate balancing act of being immoral, selfish and outrageous yet charismatic enough to generate sympathy and liking.  I have to say that Dawn Chubb achieved this in spades.

Christine Linden Smith gave an excellent performance as Edith Davenport – with her highly moral yet angst ridden character in total contrast to Alma’s.

Steven Gray’s John Davenport was wonderfully human with a touch of ironic humour. He and James Billing as son Tony generated a comfortable father son relationship with James giving a first-rate performance as the frustrated young man with the overbearing unrealistic mother.

Connor Hope was totally believable as the devil-may-care yet sharp edged George Wood.  Chrissie White was perfectly cast as Irene Riggs, suitably protective of her employer and friend, and I liked the characterisation Karen Hunt gave Joan Webster, the severe wardress who gradually softened towards Alma.

The Counsel for the Defence, and prosecution of Alma and George (Jonathan Hope, Kieron Hammond, Martin Livesey, Antony Barden) and the remaining courtroom cast were outstanding, creating such an authentic impression it could have been a film or television drama.

The innovative set must have taken some thinking out and worked like a dream. It was black box but managed to include more than one lounge a stairway, landing and a realistic cell, as well as becoming a courthouse in the second half. The whole effect was seamless. I also liked the sound effects, especially the rowdy mob and the clanking of cell doors.

I have to mention the costumes which were impeccably selected, suiting the characters and their situations perfectly. I particularly liked Alma’s colourful outfits and the schoolboy outfit for Samuel Hope as Christopher Rattenbury, which effectively made him believable as a much younger boy together with his skilled acting of course!

Ifield Barn Theatre delivered an enthralling production with accomplished acting, an innovative set and superb costumes. Well done to the director, actors and the production team and thank you for a hugely entertaining afternoon.

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