VERONICA'S ROOM

This play, by "Rosemary's Baby" writer Ira Levin was a demanding one for both the actors and the audience.  Faultless performances from a cast of 4 and a complicated story demanded that the audience concentrate on every word being delivered on stage.  It says a great deal for the performances that there was no shuffling, noisy sweet papers wrappings or general distractions.

Briefly the story takes place in one room and centres on a middle-aged couple, John and Maureen (played by Alan Lowe and Dawn Horne) entertaining a couple they have met at a near-by restaurant. The couple Susan and Larry (played by Rachel Holmes and David Brown) have been invited to the house because of Susan's apparent resemblence to a dead woman, Veronica. The couple are caretakers at the house and care for Veronica's elderly senile sister Cissie.They convince Susan to dress up as Veronica in order to give Cissie closure over a problem she had with Veronica. They tell Susan that Cissie believes the year to be 1935 although it is 1973.  

Act II saw the older couple return to the room completely different both in appearance and personality wise. They treat Susan as if she were really Veronica and accuse her of murdering Cissie because she discovered that Veronica was having an incestuous relationship with her brother Conrad. They regard her as being insane and call for the family Doctor. He arrives and is immediately recognised as Larry, Susan's dinner date. More pressure is put on Susan and they finally convince her that she is Veronica and she confesses to all the misdeeds she has been accused of. The result of this is that she is murdered.

It then becomes clear that this is not the first time these three (who are actually Mother, Father and Son ) have been involved in the murder of young women who have all been chosen for their likeness to Veronica. It is a practice that they fully intend to continue in the future!

An excellent production, beautifully crafted to bring the most spine-chilling effects to any audience. Dawn, Alan, Rachel and David were all word perfect and so convincing. If you add an excellent set, lighting and sound you have an evening of unusual drama and one that the audience will be talking about for a long time.

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