Towards Zero

When a house party gathers at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of Lady Tressilian, Neville Strange finds himself caught between his old wife Audrey and his new wife Kay. Events soon become sinister and Superintendent Battle, who is holidaying nearby in the home of his nephew, finds himself in a labyrinthine maze of clues and deception. The play incorporates jealously alongside a brutal murder leaving the audience on the edge of their seats, guessing who the murderer could have been. 

The curtains opened to display a lounge area of an upper class house, decorated with grand red velvet curtains, a matching red velvet sofa and ornamental pieces in fitting with the era of the play. It was lovely to hear the audience recognising one of the large portraits on the wall as Prudence “Prue” Goss who was a longstanding member of the group who sadly passed away recently, aged 94. It was clear that she was well loved by the audience, cast and crew.  

The costumes and props suggested the play was set in the 1950s with the ladies wearing some beautifully made dresses. Each character had their own style within their costumes. It was noticeable that the footwear was less noisy on the stage, something that caught my attention last time. 

Lady Tressilian was played by Hazel Wright, bringing to life the sharp tongued character, who was brutally murdered in Act One. Hazel was able to demonstrate her acting ability in Act Two when portraying Inspector Leech, a contrasting character to that of Lady Tressilian. Mary Aldin, Lady Tressilian’s friend, was played by Sarah Smart. She was able to make the audience really believe and empathise that she had been drugged by the murderer. Andy Mackenzie played the role of Thomas Royde with conviction, waiting on the sidelines for the affection of Audrey Strange, played by Lesley Emery. Lesley was confident in her role, bringing a determined nature to the character. Kay Strange, Neville Strange’s current wife, played by Lauren Desantos, brought sarcasm and attitude to the role. James Ager played Neville Strange well. He managed to fool the audience when he was the true villain of the story, making out that he had been set up and wasn’t the murderer. It was a twist that none of the audience saw coming. Although there was some chemistry between Kay and Neville Strange, when arguing, it felt quite reserved and would have been more impactful had the two actors not held back. Having directed Thrapston Amateur Dramatic Society’s previous play, Thomas Houghton took to the stage this time as Ted Latimer, trying to woo Kay Strange. There was clear chemistry between the two characters, complimenting each other’s roles. Dean Bayliss brought to life the character Mathew Treves, mediating between the potential murderers and Superintendent Battle. Mark Prout suited the role of Superintendent Battle and was convincing as a detective. 

There was a good pace to the piece however, the prompt was used by several characters throughout the night but the pace was quickly returned. 

The play was directed by Lisa Punter, she made good use of the stage area, props and scenery. The cast knew where they should have been on stage and the actions of their characters however, at times, some characters had their backs to the audience which impacted on the volume due to no microphones. This also prevented the audience seeing the actors’ expressive faces. 

Due to there being a natural sound, majority of the lines could be heard but at times the level did drop making it difficult for the audience to hear. 

The sound effects enhanced the scenes and fit with the feel of the play. The lighting was kept natural throughout which made it easy on the eye for the audience. 

Overall, the play was well done and the full house audience enjoyed the performance. 

The front of house team were very welcoming and it was a pleasure to be invited to review this play.

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