Dead Reckoning

From the programme it was interesting to note that the author of this play had made a very successful career in writing scripts for TV sit-coms, before deciding to return to the theatre and a world of drama in contrast to the comedy of more recent years.

The result is a thriller, with a cast of only four and, in keeping the audience guessing right up to the final moments as to who was the villain of the piece, it worked well.

Basically the plot concerns the inter-relationship of a wife and three men associated with the death of her former husband and the consequences thereof.

Amanda Rowe played the part of Megan, the wife, in an increasingly spirited fashion.   Nigel Rowe produced and also played the part of Todd, released from prison following his conviction concerning the death of Megan’s husband, but still determined to prove his innocence.

Glyn Hill played Anthony Reed, an alcholic artist, and current husband of Megan.   Malachy Luckie was Joe Slater, a very burly and threatening prison associate of Todd.

This as an interesting performance in many respects, though it has to be said that there were times when one felt that the cast were not totally in tune with their material.   The early stages contained a lot of explanations, together with comment on the state of society, and projection, in so far as the characters and the inter-relationships being portayed were concerned, seemed to lack the virility required until late in the plot.

The eventual outcome was very well hidden, as should be the case in any thriller, but one did suspect from the moderate audience response at curtain there had been some misgivings on the way.

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