It was a dark and stormy night

As we settled into our seats on a particularly dark and rainy night, we were well prepared for RODS production of It Was a Dark and Stormy Night. The curtains were closed, which was unusual in this day and age of open stages and soft openings, but there was a very good reason for this. RODS have a ‘feel’ for this kind of production and slotted into this genre with consummate ease. Lynne Bavin, the director, had cast the show so well using the members of the society, and they understood the mystery part of the performance but, also, the humour in the lines. Noone overdid the funny side but nicely underplayed the eccentricities. The scenes were separated by the closing of the main tabs and gave everyone a pause between the segments and progression of the action. I loved this throwback to how plays used to be enacted as it fitted the era of the play so well.

As always, the set was magnificently detailed and strewn with accurate and appropriate props. These ranged from fire irons, bedwarmers and the Laughing Cavalier on the wall to the horse brasses and beer pumps in the bar area of Ye Olde Wayside Inn. It was a cornucopia of antique items all liberally strewn with cobwebs and lit by an irregularly flashing lamp. This set the scene for the mystery to begin.

 Hepzibah, played by Maree Gaskin, and Arabella, played by Karen Barton, were nicely gentle, bemused but slightly mad. They gave beautifully measured performances throughout the play against which all the other characters could set their eccentricities. They tied the action together with a narrative of what was going on and copious amounts of PG Tips (no sugar or milk!) They both maintained good Cornish accents throughout. It transpires that they had both been in an asylum but were now the loving live-in cousins of Ebenezer, played by Trevor Bavin. I barely recognised Trevor from previous plays; his makeup was so good. Trevor played the creepy, stooped cousin who was living in the past from when he was stood up by Effie, a nurse, at the altar. This was a masterly performance which both horrified and intrigued the audience as he invited for interview various nurses into the creepy Inn during a dark and stormy night! I think it was the stroking of their ‘lovely hair’ which was the most disturbing!

At this point I must mention that the sound effects and lightning of the aforementioned storm were fantastic. One thunderclap reduced the whole audience to shrieks as the storm on stage progressed.

Each nurse interviewee were very different and portrayed their differing characters so well. Jane Adams, played by Diane Perrett, was the brusque kleptomaniac, who appeared to have been murdered but thankfully was resurrected at the end. Diane was so suited to this role (I am not sure if that is a compliment or not) but I’m sure she will forgive me if I say she took control of the strange surrounding with ease and managed to steal most of the props with a great deal of humour. Little touches such as the skeleton in the wheelchair and flashing lamp added to the gruesome atmosphere. The skeleton, who turned out to be the General, doesn’t have a credit in the programme, thankfully, but the violin playing Uncle Silas, played by Jonathan Pipe, appeared as a scurrying figure at the end and all the way through the performance with shrieks and wails. Mary Shaw, played by Charlotte Kay was refreshingly ‘normal’ with her sister Dorothy Blake, played by Franceska Blewitt. Both gave a normal air of perspective in contrast to the weird goings-on. They both played their parts with confidence and good characterisation.

The servant Olive, played by Gemma Elsey, was very funny. Nicely underplayed she arrived, usually silently with a cat, to play a maid, servant or nurse. This was a lovely role to play and Gemma took great advantage of the humorous effect she had on folk as she entered and exited.

As Belle and Dawson entered, played by Charlotte-Alice Spicer and Roy Llewellyn, they brought with them a new mystery. Both actors were very comfortable in their roles and played them with authority. As did Smiling Sal, Stephanie Phipps, who always gives a strong performance and certainly took control of the action on entering the stage.

Ed Perkins, played by Hana Johnston, was really well made up to look like the taxi driver and had a Ronnie Corbett air to her delivery. Fran Heaver, as Officer Snell, was also really pompous but engaging in her role with nicely timed witticisms. Euphemia, on the night that I saw the play, was played by Lynne Bavin, having to step in at the last minute for Wendy A’ness. This is always a director’s nightmare but I really didn’t notice the substitution and she was great in unravelling the mystery!

The lighting and sound were both well done, especially the storm scenes, and the set and props were beautifully organised by the stage crew.

I always enjoy my visits to RODS and thank you for making me and my guest so welcome. I always feel as if I am with friends and I know I will have a great evening.

                                                                                                                                         

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