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Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor Manor (Feb 2005)
Hooked to the Final Twist
The words, 'psychological thriller' always worry me when it comes to amateur dramatics. Such plays tend to require fine acting performances to capture a sense of foreboding or to convey the mental state of a character to the audience. Often the part-time thespians involved simply aren't up to the difficult task.
Thankfully that wasn't the case with the BATS production of Dead Guilty, as a small but skilled band of actors kept the audience hooked until the last dramatic twist.
Julia (Jacqueline Young) is seriously injured in a car crash in which her married lover, John, dies. Recovering, she's visited by John's widow, Margaret (Verena Bradbury), who apparently knows nothing of the affair. Julia is also aided by counsellor Anne (Clare Sayers) and home help Gary (David Bourne). Julia though begins to steadily go downhill and becomes suspicious of those around her. But is she right to be, and who could be causing her condition to worsen? Being honest, I'm not a great fan of Richard Harris' jaunt into serious drama when compared to his famed comedies. With a cast of just four people, the culprit behind Julia's woes couldn't be more obvious if they carried around a big, flashing neon sign saying 'nut job'.
It's only when the game of 'Guess Who' is dis-pensed things really start hotting up. What is going lo happen to Julia? Will someone come to her res-cue? The last fifteen minutes are truly riveting and full of sly humour, although the ending makes far from easy viewing if you're of a nervous disposi-tion. With just a few people carrying the show, the actors involved have lo be on top form and they don't disappoint.
Young excels as Julia, her character changing from an embittered woman to a scared and lonely figure fighting for life by the end of the play. Bourne, as Gary, shows great range after his turn as Dr Caius in the BATS production of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' in the summer. He adds the right note of generosity and naivety into the character, but maintains an underlying creepiness. Anne is solidly played by Sayers, the dependable rock in a play where everyone else seems to have a an unhealthy number of issues.
Verena Bradbury gives a 'tour de force' performance as Margaret. The character's metamorphosis from caring house guest to a calculating, but bonkers killer, is wonderfully put together. Truly a terrifying, and at times darkly funny, creation.
Credit to director Peter Bradbury for bringing out fine turns in what, despite the best efforts of all involved, will never be remembered as one of Harris' finest plays.
- DC, Bexhill Observer, 25/2/05
Review reproduced by permission
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