The Handyman

In a change from their more usual comedy or light-hearted plays, the Much Hadham Drama Group had chosen to perform the more serious drama "The Handyman" and what a performance they gave us.

The theme of this well-written play by Ronald Harwood concerns new legislation, introduced in 1996, regarding convictions for war crimes during WWII. The central character "Romka" is the elderly Ukrainian odd-jobman and family friend of "Cressida and Julian Field", a comfortably affluent, childless couple living in Chichester. Their peace is shattered one summer afternoon by the arrival of "Detective Inspector Washbourne" and her side-kick, "DC Mather", from Scotland Yard, who are investigating the possibility that "Romka" had been involved in the massacre of some 800 innocent men, women and children in the Ukraine, under the oppression of Stalin and the Communists in 1941. The action moves between the terrace of the family's home and an interview room at Scotland Yard. The set, designed by John Wetherall and his team, was very effective and allowed for smooth transition between the two scenes, with minimum disruption to the flow of the performance. The lighting effects and quality of sound were also good, enabling the audience to hear clearly all the dialogue of the various characters, essential when it is crucial not to miss a dramatic moment. Good costumes and props added touches of authenticity to the scenes. The cast, under the expert direction of Maggie Smith, each brought their own qualities to their individual performances. Gerald Dale, in his role as "Romka", gave a very convincing performance as a bewildered, elderly man, who had long ago "forgotten" the incident. Even when faced with the written evidence of two witnesses, his old "Army Sergeant Nikita Fedorenko", well-played by Graham Kilner and "Sister Sophia", played by Sue Carver, who gave a dramatically poignant account of the dreadful event itself, he continued to proclaim his innocence to good effect. Penny Deans as "DI Washbourne" portrayed well her character as the shrewd and competent investigating officer, ably assisted by son Philip Dean, who had stepped into the role of "DC Mather" at almost the last minute and gave a very solid performance. So too did Anne Senior, as "Marion Stone", the Jewish solicitor engaged by the "Fields" to act for "Romka". Her arguments with Kathy Walsh as "Cressida" over questions of culpability and retribution added significantly to the audience's dilemma as to "Romka's" guilt or innocence and led to the final show-down between them at the end of the play, with Jem Deans as "Julian Field" suitably aghast at the outcome. Thank you, Much Hadham Drama Group, for a very thought-provoking performance by a strong and confident cast. Well done.

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