****
A Sparkling Dangerous Corner.
Company of Ten are one of the classiest
amateur companies around and they are on sparkling form with Tina Swain’s
virtually impeccable production of J B Priestley’s Dangerous Corner. In a good
old fashioned 1930’s drama of seething tensions and destructive truths set and
costumes perfectly realise the civilised age long gone. Russell Vincent leads an
impressively strong cast as a man who, misguidedly, will not let sleeping dogs
lie. An absorbing, four star, two hours that is well worth a ticket.
I wrote that, sorry to those who hate
reading things twice, shortly after seeing a Sunday Matinee. (Dunstable Rep
take note). Nothing has changed in my thoughts in the past week to make me
alter my mind. I left Company of Ten’s latest production vowing to marry
director Tina Swain if she will have me, her indoors may have something to say
about that, but I did so for the best theatrical reasons. I reckon Ms Swain
loves the old fashioned thirties as much as I do, her London Wall office life politics had me tingling, and she captured
the post dinner party elegance and venom of Priestley’s first ‘time play’ with
consummate style and pleasing presentation. Judith Goodban’s drawing room set
and Lesley Ivinson’s costumes magnificently evoked a bygone age and
metaphorical knives and damaging truths were drawn with finesse. Add in the
fine directorial pointing of cigarettes lit, drinks poured, and refined seating
by windows, and these numerous prosaic moments underline the hand of a director
cleverly painting the gathering tension. Almost from the start I felt that this
lot knew what they were doing. Sit back and enjoy.
It could all have gone pear shaped of
course. If those bloody actors are blind to your concept they could scupper it
by overblown or underplayed performance or by mistiming a line which destroys a
lovingly created scene. Have seen the latter a few times in my long life and,
pleased to say, my last prison sentence was suspended. Justifiable homicide the
judge come theatre critic said. No chance here at St Albans. The seven strong
cast were singing, collectively and individually, to Ms Swain’s Dangerous
Corner tune. Shan’t regale you with the plot. Or only a bit. A chance remark
regarding a musical cigarette box owned by the offstage and unseen Martin,
conveniently dead, leads to smug and self satisfied dinner guests writhing like
snakes in a bottomless pit. Lovely stuff. And beautifully played by actors
collectively aware that this play had a solid theatrical base and individually
determined to ensure that it zinged.
Russell Vincent was riveting as the
slightly pompous and unduly pure host Robert Caplan who, misguidedly and
doggedly, unearthed questions best left unanswered. A central performance of
the highest class. And Abbe Waghorn visually ticked all my demanding boxes as
elegant hostess Freda Caplan, torn between social niceties and destructive
truths. Do you serve sandwiches when someone has confessed to murder? Probably.
Lianne Weidmann was on top form as the slightly repressed and introspective
Olwen Peel, Stuart Hurford spot on in the difficult part of the over emotional
Gordon Whitehouse, and Apryl Kelly engaging as the doll like Betty Whitehouse. Miss
Kelly needed to project a little more in her quieter scenes but this is a small
point in an overall captivating performance. Besides, my ears ain’t what they
used to be. But my favourite performance in a cast full of cream was Andrew
Baird’s subtly crafted performance as the dinner party’s bad apple Charles
Stanton. Drinks as much as me, Mr Stanton that is, which is no bad thing and
his revealing social pariah cleverly knitted the growing tensions of the
Caplan’s evening soiree. I first sniffed out Mr Baird as the friar in Juliet and her Romeo. Impressive then,
even more so here.
That just leaves me with Jacqui
Golding’s Maud Mockridge and my only caveat in an otherwise faultless
production. Rest easy Ms Golding. Nothing about you. A beautiful, well
modulated, and clear performance as an insufferable author publishers have to
put up with. Social snob and convenient voice of exposition and, at the end,
the underscoring point of the narrative. In a play that crucially goes full
circle, hence its charm, Miss Mockridge is the important link. Her returning final
scene was not reset with open curtains and afternoon light. Cigarette box and
radio music repeated conversations not dramatically pointed enough for my
taste. So the muted finale did not underline the tantalising beginnings. But my
only caveat. Overall a superb Dangerous Corner. A superb production, first
class director, excellent cast. Even if my small ending theatrical sniff means the
marriage to Ms Swain is off. Roy Hall
No comments:
Post a Comment