Trap for a lonely man

Thank you for your kind invitation to report on your production of this very different play, written as a mystery where the dénouement is totally unexpected!  The play was intriguing in its mix of darkness and humour, possibly helped by the translation from French.  It was a very engaging script that had the audience talking long into the interval and the action fitted into the box set of the village venue well.   I very much liked the exploration of the notion that someone can be persuaded that they are losing their memory by tricks that are played on them. 

The set was remarkable in making the most of the available space, as it presented the interior of an alpine ski chalet, with stone walls displaying skis and poles, a log burner, drinks table and light, standard lamp, armchair and large settee.  An exit to the front door was stage right, and to the kitchen stage left.   There were no major scene changes during the production, which enabled the flow of the performance to be unhindered and helped to keep the pace building.  The small changes to the set dressing worked well.  

The planning of the show was excellent, with the action moving from area to area, and the important actions, such as the removal of the Man’s mobile phone, clearly seen by the audience but not by the owner. The mix of voices was well varied in pace and timbre, delivery was strong on the whole.  Good clear diction made the script easily understandable, although the odd call for “line” rather spoiled the illusion!

The lighting was very good, with just four lamps used to light the whole stage, plus the two set.  This worked very well in making the lighting continuous for each scene, but still gave scope for some variety of brightness to indicate different times of day.  The sound was well handled for the music and sound effects, although these were a little delayed once or twice of the car arriving.    

Costumes were well devised, to add character to the actors.  The Priest looked very much at home in his Cassock, and the Nurse in her uniform.  Merluche was roughly clothed as an out-of-work artist and vagrant while the Woman looked her part as a possible con artist.   Once again, the small changes in costume were well done and very telling.  Props were well devised and used, especially the man bags.  

However, in this quite convoluted story, it was the actors that really brought the play to life:  

The Man:  This was an excellent portrayal of the character, which included a range of emotions ranging from worry at his wife’s disappearance, frenzy when realising there was a plot against him and desperation at the Police Inspector’s lack of acceptance.  He kept the audience’s sympathy throughout the play until his true self was finally revealed.  A most convincing performance.

The Woman:  she was well portrayed as a mysterious stranger, calmly and cheerfully insisting she is the Man’s wife, and building the picture of his memory loss.    Her air of matter-of-fact efficiency contributed to the bewildering atmosphere of the play and to its unexpected denouement.  An excellent performance.

Police Inspector:  This was a good portrayal, showing two facets of his character.  First, as a member of the conspiracy he had a friendly, laid-back personality.  Second, his true professional persona was revealed in the forceful interrogation scene and the surprising denouement.   Very well performed.

The Priest:  Throughout the play this character was totally believable as someone disguised as a priest.  Very well acted, this was a memorable performance of a priest conspiring to trap a suspect.

Merluche:  This was an amusing portrayal of a tricksy vagabond, skilfully deceiving the Man by offering false hope.  Good interaction with the Woman in the shooting scene, although at times the dialogue could have been clearer.  A lovely character!

The Nurse:  This was a good portrayal, particularly of her outrage at being cheated by the Priest.  Good interaction with the Man in the confession statement scene.

Altogether this was a very engaging production that entertained, mystified and amused.  It was very well staged and performed with good energy and understanding, with some very well-timed entrances and exits!  No wonder we were asked not to tell anyone!

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