Spiders Web

A Spiders Web

Woolgatherers

14/03/24

 

Spiders Web was originally written at the request of its star Margaret Lockwood and one of only a few stories to start life as a play, Agatha Christie wrote the play during rehearsals for Witness for the Prosecution, which was then running in London’s West End. The play made its way to the Savoy Theatre in London in 1954 and ran for 774 performances; joining The Mousetrap and Witness for the Prosecution, making it Christie’s third play to be performed simultaneously in the West End. Spider’s Web has the advantage of not being as well known or so often adapted as other Christie plays, so there is the likelihood most of the audience will be seeing the story for the first time hopefully hanging on every clue to solve the murder. 

Set in the drawing room at Copperstone Court, the country home of the Hailsham-Browns, in Kent. Clarissa Hailsham-Brown (Phillipa Hipwell), the second wife of diplomat, Henry Hailsham-Brown (Terry Collister). Clarissa is often left alone to entertain herself she becomes adept at spinning tall tales of adventure, she calls them her ‘Supposing’ game as she implies nobody believes her when she tells the truth anyway! Her "suppose I found a dead body in the drawing room’ becomes the pivot of the unfolding drama. This is Christie at her best, a masterly intricate plot of murder, police, drug addicts, invisible ink, hidden doorways, secret drawers, misguided clues and clever plot twist.

 When Clarissa is paid a visit by Oliver Costello (Ian Maddocks) the new husband of her husband’s first wife, claiming she wants an increase in his payments to her and worse, wants to have custody of her and Hailsham-Brown’s child Pippa (Freya McCone). Clarissa is totally opposed to this because Pippa’s mother is known to be a drug addict and Pippa doesn’t want to leave. She banishes Costello from the house, never to return.  Therefore, when Costello is subsequantly discovered dead in the library and Pippa claims she killed him she finds live drama much harder to cope with. Desperate to dispose of the body before her husband arrives home with an important politician, she enlists the help of house guests; her loyal friends Lady Rosalind Delahaye (Jenny Stock) Henrietta Birch (Claire Tagg) a Justice of the Peace and Jeremy Warrender (Kev Roberts) the extraordinarily inquisitive Private Secretary who constantly flirts with Clarissa. The issue is not so much 'Whodunnit?' as 'How do we get away with it?'

Phillipa Hipwell gives a superb performance as the very likeable, vivacious and animated Clarissa, it is no surprise that those around her like her enough to support her in her audacious plan to move the body.

The unexpected arrival of Police Inspector Lord (Eliott Kinnear) and Constable Jones (Ian Maddox) throws the gathering into chaos. They were responding to an anonymous phone call suggesting that a murder had taken place at the house. When questioned, Clarissa and her guests all lie about the facts, hoping to cover up the murder of Oliver Costello believing young Pippa had committed. In true Clarissa style she proceeds to give three different elaborate accounts of what happened, putting herself as the chief suspect for the murder. Eliott Kinnear is superb as the wry inspector, the inconsistencies in the version of events lead to his discovery of the body behind the hidden door in the library. The mystery intensifies as Lord realises Costello’s body is missing. and the audience must solve the puzzle to discover exactly "whodunnit’

Mildred Peake (Katie Meakin) is delightfully humorous as the eccentric gardener, (who happens to have a key to every door in the house) she revels in the part, which has some very funny lines. Mildreds well intentioned actions create many complications in Inspector Lord search for the truth. There is wonderful support from Helen Brickwood as Elgin, the butler who we later find out has written her own references.

"Spider's Web” is an entertaining true "Christie thriller", it delivers an unexpected blend of wit and subtle suspense. Director Ann Warr clearly knew what she wanted for this production, it delivers suspense and humour, an excellent very talented cast, great pace throughout, the audience being totally engaged. The drawing room set (Terry Collister & Society Members) is spot on, totally in keeping enabling the activity to take place, well lit (Seamus Rainey), with fitting sound (Simon Grainger) and era appropriate costumes (Jane Gordon).

This was a well perceived and executed Agatha Christie mystery, it was an absolute joy to be in the audience the evening I came to see the Woolgatherers at the Little Theatre. Congratulations to all concerned - it was a blast.

 

Joanne Rymer

NODA

District 4

 

 

 

 

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