Gaslight

I am sure many older playgoers will remember the film of this famous Patrick Hamilton play.  From memory I feel that this production will stay a favourite with audiences for a long time.  It had lost none of its mystery and I am sure subject to the mental torture metered out by Mr Jack Manningham (Edward Hockin) to his wife Mrs Bella Manningham (Christina Peak) few would have stayed sane.

The small cast, in addition to the husband and wife, Elizabeth (Lynne Young) as the faithful housekeeper and always sympathetic to Bella,  Nancy (Kate Lowe) the flirtatious maid always with an eye to the main chance where the Master was concerned, and Detective Rough (Robert Onions) who supported Mrs Manningham and succeeded in bringing her husband to justice, gave everything to maintain the suspense, and at times there were startled gasps from the audience. There were the occasional laughs when Nancy tried her tricks to get what she wanted from the Master and her dislike of the Mistress was very evident.  

The cast had no need of a prompt on the night I attended, they were all word perfect, and this always adds to the tension in a play.

A very satisfied full house audience left the theatre at the end of this long three act play knowing that they had seen the very best in amateur theatre.

Good scenery including very effective “flickering gas lamps,” indeed it felt as though you were sitting in the living room of a Nineteenth Century house. Grange Players are always excellent with props and it is always good to see real crockery and cut glass being use. They even had sugar tongs in the sugar bowl.  Ten out of ten for such attention to detail.  

 

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