Double Death @ Darlington Civic

A double helping of suspense, intrigue and murder

Identical twins have always held a fascination for me; how much of one twin went to make up the other, how identical are they, what of the oft-spoken special bond they are supposed to have? Simon Williams taps into all of that and creates a brilliant murder mystery play which feels like multiple games of Cluedo being played at the same time on the same board.

Max and Ash Hennessy are the aforementioned twins, but these are not loving siblings who enjoy sharing their identical-ness. There is a deep seated loathing in both of them, no doubt borne initially from years of competitive rivalry but honed to total despising by a terrible ‘accident’ which left Ash in a wheelchair. This accident, whilst they were both rock climbing, was to many, an attempt by Max to rid himself of his perpetual shadow and as such he is now the subject of a court order forbidding him from making any contact with his unfortunate brother. Yet both brothers know that one of them is about to die, just which one and how is still open to debate.

Back story set, we are transported to the family home in remote Cornwall on a dire and stormy night, the eve of the twins’ birthday. Max has ignored the courts and made his way home in time to ‘welcome’ his brother who has just been released from hospital and into the care of his Aunt Lalla and his home nurse, Jess.

Max, it appears, has much more on his mind than simply sharing cake and candles and so starts a story of thrust and counterthrust which plays on the twins’ childhood games of “can you guess which one is which”. The plot is deliciously twisted, the use of only one actor to play both twins made totally believable by some inspired direction and the set, cleverly adorned by the Cluedo murder weapons, makes for a very claustrophobic stormy south coast retreat.

The cast, of which there are only 4, have great fun with their roles; Judy Buxton as Aunt Lalla delights in blending Shakespeare quotes with a rather impatient use of ‘real language’, Kim Tiddy as Nurse Jess manages to stay coldly indifferent to both Ash and Max for as long as possible before dropping the façade and showing her true self. Brian Capron as Detective Fergus avoids playing the bumbling Columbo styled mac wearing cop and stuck resolutely to the country DI . Tom Butcher as the twins was superb; undoubtedly he is assisted by the props and costume dept to ensure that he can remember who he is and when, but he keeps the two brothers identifiably different while still maintaining their monozygotic similarities. The twists and turns of the story give great scope for exploring the inner drivers of both brothers and Butcher doesn’t waste a moment.

For a Monday night, it was a little disappointing to see the stalls only half full, such a shame for a brilliantly funny & entertaining play which would knock spots off any TV drivel being served up at the moment. 

Black Coffee @ Darlington Civic

Quintessential Christie whodunit and thoroughly entertaining

Sick of poor portrayals of Hercule Poirot, her super-sleuth, Agatha Christie wrote Black Coffee, her first stage play, so that she could ensure he was as he should be.  In doing so, she set in place the basis for all subsequent Christie murders and created the blueprint for our best loved Belgian.

Set in a country house in 1929, the story is atypical of Christie's murder plays; the first third sets up the characters while preparing for the actual murder, the second third shows them all unsettled by the appearance of Hercule and his side kick Hastings, and the third is the great reveal.  The claustrophobia of being set in just one room adds to the intensity of the scenes so that by the end of the show the audience is left breathing a sigh of relief that they were not accused by association.

The plot centres on the Amory family; Sir Claud, a prominent inventor bordering on megalomaniac, his sister Caroline, Richard his son and Barbara his niece. They are obviously well to do, with the usual smattering of servants associated with 1920's aristocracy lead by Tredwell the butler and Edward Raynor, Sir Claud's personal secretary.  Completing the houseguests are Lucia Amory, Richards wife of Italian descent and an acquaintance of hers, Dr Carelli.  Sir Claud has recently designed a formula for the creation of a super explosive and it is this formula that leads to his untimely death, a death which appears to come from drinking the Black Coffee.  Of course, I'm not going to tell who did it, save to say that there are enough potential culprits to keep you guessing right to the end.

Jason Durr, of Heartbeat fame, takes the lead and plays the eponymous detective with a delectable degree of aloofness borne only from having total confidence in his ability.  He has all the quirks and skittish mannerisms, broken by occasional knowing looks to the audience, that we have come to love from the character so famously 'owned' by David Suchet.  He is both unimposing yet commanding, peripheral yet central.  I am sure that there will be many linguists challenged to locate exactly where in Belgium Jason's accent hails from, but that all adds to the entertainment of the show.

Whilst Gary Mavers as Dr Carelli continues the theme of un-placeable accents (sorry Gary but Joe Dolce sprang to mind on occasion) it was Felicity Houlbrooke, playing the delightful flapper Barbara who brought a real sense of period with her perfect take on 20's high society - not only did she have the timing and pitch to a tee, but her girly charms coupled with the use of jazz-age slang was reminiscent of Thoroughly Modern Millie.  The way she playfully goaded Robin McCallum's Hastings could have made for an entire act on its own.

Special mention must go to the scenery & set design - an art décor paradise which was stunningly lit and perfect in every detail - one of the best stages I've seen at Darlington for many years.

The Agatha Christie Theatre Company can always be relied upon to produce a totally engrossing play, remaining true to her initial writings and yet somehow making it feel very modern - this stands toe to toe with any current murder mystery and head and shoulders above pretty much anything served up on TV - well worth a trip to the Civic, just avoid having coffee in the interval.

Dreamboats and Miniskirts @ Darlington Civic

A nice little show, but if only .....

The scene is back in Essex (this time it's 1963), the story, a follow on from the end of Bobby & Laura's No.1 hit song, and the cast & musicians are the same talented and energetic bunch as before but unfortunately that's where the similarities between the hugely successful Dreamboats and Petticoats and this latest bubblegum musical end.  The program notes talked all about the emerging British pop culture, the Beatles, Stones, the influence of the Mersey sound and the London fashion scene but sadly, apart from one small scene set in Liverpool, the writers, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran,  decided to ignore the greatest back catalogue of British pop in favour of rolling out more Mid-American jukebox tunes.

A runaway first show sparking a huge following, spin off albums, mega marketing and thousands of fans was always going to be ripe for a follow up, but a major part of the success of the original was built on having first choice of the best songs to use to support the story.  Writing a follow-up could have gone one of two ways; same again but use songs from the 'B' list, or take the vibe and step it into a new direction - unfortunately the writers opted for the easier first option and in doing so missed a great opportunity - think Grease 2 after Grease and you've got it.

I am not suggesting that the play list is not filled with hit after hit, but what was very disappointing was the absence of British pop.  The story, which continues on from the end of the last show and occasionally gave a passing nod to the early 60's British revolution, could have shown how the Conquests had to change their style away from the late 50's  to reflect the new wave of England-based music which stormed round the world and spawned a totally different sound.  It could have made more about the band's trip to Liverpool to watch the embryonic Beatles and copy the fab 4's groundshaking style.  It could have recognised that the London fashion scene demanded its own soundtrack.  Instead, it reverted back to using the same American led formula of the original, shoehorning in more songs to 'tell the story' whilst actually leaving some in the audience just wishing for a few minutes of acting before the next aural assault.

Don't get me wrong, this is still a fantastic showcase for some very talented performers; the band is still as tight as ever, the girls vocals are crisp and clear and most of the boys hit their mark, nonemoreso than in the few acapella numbers.  Stand out performances were Louise Olley as Sue who lit up every scene she appeared in, Chris Coxon on bass guitar and Chloe Edwards-Wood and Charlotte Peak on the Saxes.  

The sets are fun, bright and full of energy, but the creativity and possibilities are stifled by the limited story and claustrophobic plot. It seems like the writers simply opted to throw in another song instead of a few minutes story-telling which leaves it feeling like a compilation album being performed live, rather than a musical story.  Shame really, that said, if you love live music and early 60's American pop then you'll really enjoy the talent on show.

Private Peaceful @ Darlington Civic

Powerfully written, brilliantly acted, emotionally draining

In this year of remembrance, a year which has been, and will continue to be, commemorated by huge budget productions, Hollywood movies and lavish TV dramas, here is a simple, one man show  that encapsulates all the emotion, drama, life and death of the Great War.  It is so perfectly delivered that to watch it is to be transported through the innocent eyes of a young boy in the wide rural expanses of pre-war Devon countryside and into the battle weary claustrophobia of the front line trenches.  There are no huge sets, no painted scenes and no other cast, but through Andy Daniel's brilliant acting you are left feeling that you have just sat through an epic life story movie.

Told as a recounting of his short life during the night before his execution, Tommy 'Tommo' Peaceful is a Devon country boy, growing up in a turn of the century idyllic lifestyle, exploring life and love until the outbreak of war.  The story, written by Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo (he of War Horse fame), covers everything from early school days, the loss of his father, his devotion to his older brothers, his one true love and his subsequent going to war, and yet remains wonderfully grounded by constantly returning to the cold, hard cell with only his bunk and pack.

In the first act, Andy Daniel effortlessly paints pictures of school yards, huge rolling estates and intimate haystacks, all with the warm, Halcyon days glow of eternal summer sun and the innocence of youth.  Turning to the second act, he strips bare the human emotions, darkens the skies and covers everything in mud and blood as he drops the story's hero into the madness and injustice of the Ypres trenches.  Torn between the expected blind obedience and his love for his brother, Tommo falls not to a German bullet, but as so many other young soldiers did, to the British Army high command and their inhumane use of the charge of cowardice.   So powerful was the ending that we left the show with the hangover of unfairness still souring our mouths and a heaviness in our hearts of knowing how true this outcome often was.

A great performance which will serve as a perfect example of storytelling for young actors and seasoned hands alike, Darlington Civic theatre have opened their Autumn season with the bar set very high; here's to many more shows of this calibre over the coming months.

Private Peaceful is at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday 13th September.