Columbo

As usual there was an incredibly warm welcome from the smiling front of house ladies, in their yellow sashes; this was a lovely touch. The programme too was superb with interesting information and a very funny interview with Frank the dog.

The set was one of Robin Winders specials and very well executed. I loved the cut-out secretary’s office and the folding flat that made either the office or the drawing room of the doctor’s house a little larger. I think it was one of the best sets I have seen there in recent years.

Prescription Murder was a one-off TV episode in 1960 (then called Enough Rope) before becoming a stage play in 1961.This was to became the first pilot episode of the series when Falk first took the role in 1968  

The auditorium was full and this obviously was a good choice of production for the group. A little slow to start but it eventually gained momentum with the appearance of the scheming intelligent psychiatrist. This was played with authority by David Ford. Carey Brown as his brash, hard-bitten, jealous wife gave a gutsy performance and a super death scene. However I wasn’t really convinced about the use of red light and loud music during this scene. This in my opinion made it more of a farce than a serious murder but maybe that was the director’s vision?

The Doctors accomplice was his much younger girlfriend, actress Susan, played by Ruth Carden. She made us feel almost sorry for her as she was asked to be part of the plot to kill the doctor’s wife. She portrayed well the hapless woman, who was full of hopes and dreams for her new life with him that were soon to be destroyed in tatters.

Almost half way through the Act One, we get to meet Columbo, played by Scott Peters. Here we have the bumbling dishevelled policeman with raincoat and cigar who doesn’t seem to understand what is happening. However he gets to the answers in the end with his seemingly endless questions.  It is always hard for an actor to take on an iconic role of someone that we all know so well but Scott made the character his own and added own his unique touches.

The supporting cast of Heather Sims as Miss Petrie; Paul Bonneci as Dave Gordon; Paul Fisher as Tommy; and Alfred Knightbridge as Officer Krupke – all gave solid performances and I look forward to seeing more of them in future productions.

Lighting was good but sound sometimes seemed a little out of sync. The video with Frank the dog was fun but really not needed nonetheless anything with such a beautiful dog appearing, gets my vote.  The pace was a little slow at times and a little more clarity would have helped as sometimes it was hard to understand the accents of some of the actors. Overall the play was a good one to watch and was enjoyed by the huge audience.

As Columbo says – ‘Just one more thing’.   Well done to everyone involved on a good production.

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