Theft

This was my first NODA review since Lockdown, and what a pleasure it was to be back watching live drama. 

Richard Llewellyn's first production as Director was a great success.

Theft, by Eric Chappell, of Rising Damp fame, was an inspired choice and each member of the cast portrayed the mixed bag of "friends" beautifully. The easy to dislike John Miles played by Graham Breeze, the selfish, self made man who, as the story unfolded, turned out to be overcompensating for a somewhat traumatic childhood. His wife Barbara, was played by Di Wyman. On the face of it a downtrodden wife who knew her place in her husband's shadow. However in reality she was scheming and one step ahead of her husband as she planned for her own future security. 

Bring on John's best, and perhaps only friend Trevor, played by Andrew Tidbury. From a more privileged  background, they seemed to remain friends out of a mixture of duty on John's part and fear on Trevor's. Two total opposites. One brash & bombastic, the other timid, just trying to get through life as best he could, without upsetting anyone. 

Trevor's wife Jenny, played by Shelley Scripps, completes the quartet. Happy to drift along at Trevor's pace....Or was she? It appears that she still carried a torch, and a locket, for John.

All these characters were marvelously portrayed by the cast and you got the feeling that they would have been still going through the motions for years to come.

Enter the villain of the plot. Spriggs, Played by Adrian Wyman. As soon as he arrived the pace went up a gear. An out and out bad egg but with the Arthur Daily like charisma. Adrian's comic timing was excellent. Perfect casting.

The, Whodunit, aspect of the show was maintained to the end, as was the running gag relating to the unwanted gift.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

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