Theft

'Theft' written by Eric Chappell is a superb example of an ensemble comedy. The narrative revolves around the goings on inside a country house, late one October evening. As the title suggests the plot does stem from a crime that has taken place. However this is just the start for what actually is found to be going on, within the lives of the people involved.

From the outset this play lived up to the high standards that we have come to expect from Blackburn Drama Club. The story was very easy to follow, even though it had numerous twists and turns, with somewhat unexpected outcomes. The set of the living room, which we were introduced to in the first scene was fit for purpose, well designed and supported the story adequately. The numerous doors in and out of the room worked well allowing the audience to envisage a functional house.

The main five cast members were brought into this play quite early on. The casting was superb, with people playing roles they were suited to. This then enabled some strong acting to come across to the audience, as the characterisations were well configured and maintained throughout the whole show.

The sound for the production was once again done with traditional voice projection and not complicated sound systems, they can easily make or break a production. The cast used their voices well ensuring every word could be heard, enabling all of the humour to come across. On the odd occasion a member of the cast would speak with their back to the audience, which did reduce the volume of the dialogue. Never the less it could still be heard just enough to make out what was being said. The use of accents within this production was alsoadmirably done.

Our favourite scenes were when ‘Spriggs' emerged from the window seat, having been hiding out in it for some time. The acting was splendid with excellent numb leg impressions bringing in some very good humour. In addition to this the section when ‘Spriggs' apparently dies due to his ‘angina’, which once again this was a con, provided another marvellous moment on stage with everyone’s reactions being believable and sucking the audience in.

The firearm used in the production was perhaps excessively loud giving the majority of the audience palpitations. This said the impact and adrenaline rush that the audience got from the shock, created exactly the right impact. This made the audience really feel the tension and drama in the piece, ensuring the production was convincing. Everyone watching was forced to have a physiological response, as well as an emotional one. This is a hard thing to do within a piece of theatre but it worked well.

This play provided a very enjoyable evening of entertainment. The acting and delivery of the script were all of a high standard and allowed the audience to sit back and enjoy the show. Extra recognition should be given to all the cast as only four weeks before the production was due to be staged, people joined the cast and others changed parts. This would never have been known without being toldbeforehand. The play was once again a fantastic choice for Blackburn Drama Club and really did get its 2016/17 season off to a great start. We would like to thank the society for their kind invitation to this production and we look forward to the rest of the season. The next production being ‘A View From the Bridge’ in November.

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