Snake in the Grass

Take three neurotic women, a concealed well and the master of the unexpected and you have the recipe for an enthralling theatrical experience.  This is a challenging production.  The company and set designer Alan Gleed had certainly given much thought to the excellent set, creating a run down garden with a solid looking, yet neglected, summer house, a tennis court, archway, wall and garden furniture.

The play revealed its various levels – comedy, thriller and psychological drama and as such demands much of the three actresses.  Annabel Chester (Kathryn Schosland) arrives home after 35 years abroad to claim her inheritance from her recently deceased father.  She is confronted by his former nurse, Alice Moody (Anita Marshall), who proceeds to blackmail her with evidence that Annabel’s sister, Miriam, had deliberately killed her father.  Miriam (April Murfit) appears as a completely down trodden individual on the edge of a breakdown never having loved or been loved.  However, as the pressure from Alice increases, Miriam shows great resolve and cunning in disposing of the “problem”.  But, typical of Ayckbourn, all is not what it seems and we are taken through a series of unexpected turns until, finally, Miriam’s scheming character (the snake in the grass), in a macabre final twist, achieves what she sees as her just reward for having sacrificed her life to caring for her father.

Opening night was, unfortunately, beset by prompts.  Initially this could have been put down to nerves but one part of the first scene required prompts virtually every line.  Once or twice things briefly jogged along at a good pace but unfortunately it didn’t last long. In a play reliant on the build up of tension strong, confident acting is paramount.  Director
Fiona Harvey Maguire in her programme note said the rehearsal period had been shorter than usual and maybe her cast would have benefitted with a longer run-in as they were not quite as confident as necessary with their dialogue.  Having said that the play had some nice moments.  I particularly liked Anita Marshall’s characterisation of Alice, the blackmailing nurse, and Kathryn Schosland’s tale of the breakup of her marriage was well done.  The role of Miriam is complex - she is a psychopath - her mood swings are sudden yet she remains in control of her plan. As hard as she tried - and there were good moments in this performance - I cannot honestly say that April quite pulled it off.

The technical demands of this piece were well met throughout, excellent set, atmospheric lighting, ghostly tinkling of the wind chimes, tennis balls bouncing from the tennis court, the reappearance of the “dead body” from the well and the rocking chair moving of its own accord. Well done to the technical team.

It was obvious a huge amount of effort had been put into this production by all involved and I am sure that, now the cast has got the first night performance under their belts, things will improve as the week goes on.

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