Dangerous Corner

One week on and I’m back at the Key Theatre to watch a JB Priestley play, this is a play that asks should the truth always be pursued, perhaps it for individual audience members to make that decision themselves after watching the performance.

There was a very well dressed set on the open stage, even having a grand piano (I hoped some one was going to play it), displaying the comfortable home of a reasonably affluent family, a lot of attention to detail. Much as I admired the set I was here to see a play that I didn’t know. I was advised by the director that one of the cast had been taken seriously ill and that she would be stepping into the role and carrying a script with her.

Fortunately, the programme lists all the relationships as although there is only a cast of seven it could have been a little confusing with brothers, sisters, husbands, wives. We never see Robert’s brother Martin who committed suicide (did he?) and was the catalyst for all the revelations that come throughout the play. The youngest couple were Gordon and Betty Woodhouse, respectively Richard Martin and Amy Harris. Richard’s character was prone to sudden burst of anger which were well controlled, his diction was clear although I felt that his movements were not quite natural enough, he looked a little uncomfortable at times so I suspect that is down to his musical background, a nice portrayal though. Amy Harris’s Betty was a good foil to Gordon with her own secrets to reveal, displaying a controlled character and the secrets were nicely played out. The ‘older’ couple Robert and Freda Caplan respectively Chris Butterly and Jennie Dighton who had stepped in to the role, these were well played, just a couple of hesitations with the script but otherwise this did not impede the flow of the play. Chris is a good strong support and can be relied upon to give a performance that underpins the whole play, good diction and stage presence. Jennie worked very well with Chris and gave a generally confident performance, always comfortable on stage with a clear voice she coped very well with this role.

Karen Mackenzie gave us a good performance as Olwen Peel, the character who started off the revelations by the comment about a music box and of course ultimately revealing that she was responsible for the death, this was a nicely performed role, and she held the interest of the audience throughout. Helen Reece’s role as novelist Maud Mockridge was briefer than the others, she gave a good hint of the enigmatic character that she was portraying and gave the audience a well-drawn view of this novelist.

The final character Charles Stanton was portrayed by Frazer Tim Godden with a good stage presence giving us hints of a relationship that was never spoken out loud, this role suited him very well. Frazer had good stage presence.

For any play it is important that as well as showing us fully developed characters, clear diction and projection. whilst movement on and around stage is well done and with purpose, this was well done which is a tribute to the director. She had also ensured that the pace throughout was kept up with the elements of humour and anger both well displayed. Props were well handled as was sound, and lighting apart from the final blackout was well timed (we just caught Maud moving the cigarette box back to the book case. A nice interesting play well performed with its twist at the end so unexpected.

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