Lord Arthur Savile's Crime

Based on a short story by Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime combines Wilde’s usual cutting wit and upper-class urban setting with a chilling tone, as men set out to murder, women sacrifice themselves secretly, and literary passion turns deadly!

The Lord Arthur Saville of the title is about to get married to his sweetheart Sybil Merton, but thanks to Sybil’s mother employing a cheiromantist (Mr Podgers), events get in the way. A great deal of the success of this show depends on the chemistry between Lord Arthur and his faithful valet Baines. Timothy Bond (Arthur) and Russell Loten (Baines) proved the perfect concoction, the latter bringing a calm, composed wiliness to his role, providing the ideal foil for his young master’s more excitable nature. A decidedly Jeeves and Wooster-ish double act.   

Sybil’s mother, the fearsome mother-in-law-to-be, was played with relish by Elspeth Whyte, complete with her withering put-downs and  imperious demeanour.

By contrast, Rebekah Lansley was sweetness and light personified as Sybil Merton, Arthur’s would-be bride. Lansley is blessed with the perfect look for this kind of period role, but she also brought a delightfully deft subtlety to her performance.

Wilde’s ladies are always memorable and Fiona Main and Dorothy Johnstone upheld that tradition as Lady Windermere and Lady Clementina Beauchamp. I particularly enjoyed the ‘business’ in the scene in which Lady Clementina continually fails to eat the poisoned sweet meant for her.

And although it’s not a ‘grand lady’ or a massive part, Angie Fowler certainly extracted all the comic possibilities from her role of Nellie, the lovestruck maid. Her first (extended!) exit achieving many belly laughs from persons sitting near to me.

Geoff Lee’s Podgers, the society palm reader, later to be found a fraud, reveals that Arthur is destined to commit murder, and, therefore, our hapless hero determines that the only decent thing a chap can do in the circumstances is to get the unpleasant deed over and done with before the wedding. Lee’s character provides a suitably period reasoning, (albeit convoluted!). to the plot of the play.  Geoff Lee also expertly combines initial servility with sneaky villainy later on.

Simon Boothroyd displays an entirely believable Dean of Paddington, whose penchant for a glass (or two) of alcoholic beverage, results in his being helped off by others.

Lastly, Alan Sunter  was clearly having the time of his life as the eccentric German anarchist, Herr Winkelkopf. From his first entrance he delivered a performance of such committed, full-on, all-stops-out energy, one feared he might explode, unlike his constantly-failing devices!

Technically, the show was yet another success for Threepenny Theatricals. Starting with Dario Dalla Costa’s thoughtful and totally appropriate direction, via excellent stage management using a well-dressed set, sumptuous period costumes in quantity, suitably naturalistic lighting and appropriate sound effects, the play provided a pleasant, little-thinking-required, way to spend an evening, with a cast who were obviously completely immersed in their roles. 

Well done 3T, roll on your next production!  

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