Blackeyed Theatre's Dracula

Blackeyed Theatre invites you in to see their rendition of Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula.

The well-known tale is brought once more to the stage by the company of five actors. Everyone flits between their multiple roles with so much ease it is as simple as a change of hair or coat.

It is a delight when you hear the rattling of chains, Will Bryant becoming at once the dramatic and crazed inmate Renfield after a scene as the reserved Jonathan Harker. Paul Kevin Taylor keeps you on edge doubling up as the work-driven Professor Van Helsing and the alluring grand vampire himself. Rachel Winters and Katherine Gibson excel as Harker's wife Mina and the ill fated Lucy Westenra respectively.

And with the actors being on stage at all times, even whilst they were blending in as part of the library or a window, you still feel their main characters coming through. Lucy and Dracula are hardly seen together, but when their actors are stood near each other in other scenes you still feel the pull between them.

Lighting and a well designed, industrial feeling set, along with the use of narrative and voiced thoughts set us into the scenes which carry through with ease and a fast pace.

Costumes by Jenny Lethbridge open up the Victorian era with brightly coloured neckties and bold, layered dresses.

The use of sound is most effective, with the haunting voices of Winters and Gibson repeating throughout to build up the character's journeys. Instruments- which the cast play themselves, silent cinema and shadows aid in taking us on a coach ride through Europe, seeing a ship sailing through a storm and witnessing a beheading. To use so many techniques, though they are all styles that were being used with the public when the novel was being written, could still come across as choppy and disjointed, but it all gels together into a cohesive piece, which when all put together creates moments of tension, suspense, and indeed amusement. A faithful and compelling adaptation that flows from beginning to end.

But all in all this is an actor led piece with a cast that clearly loves the story, and Stoker's Dracula is still as fresh as the day it was conceived with new, inspired performances like this granting it new life.

The Mousetrap

In it's 60th year in the West End, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is celebrating with a Diamond anniversary tour.

A classic 'who dunnit?' tale, set in a hotel owned by a married couple who have just taken it on. Bruno Langley and Gemma Walker star as Mr and Mrs Ralston, and whilst their performances get better as the play progresses the chemistry between the two of them doesn't come naturally and at times seems very forced.

Their first night of being open sees a number of quirky, suspicious characters arriving. Elizabeth Power makes the most of her time as Mrs Boyle, so you miss her presence when she leaves. Clare Wilkie and Karl Howman are both entertaining in their roles but it is Bob Saul as the policeman, a role which he has played on the west end, who steals the show, playing the part with aplomb.

Everyone has a secret to hide, but who is the killer? An intriguing play which will please both ardent Christie, those only making their first foray into their work and people, like me, who have never been much of a fan of the crime genre.

The Ladykillers

One of the classic Ealing comedies, The Ladykillers has now made it's way to the stage in Gary Linear's new adaptation.
There is always a suspicion surrounding any classic piece of work that is going to be brought to the stage, but time and time again it's been proven that it does work. These are not remakes but retellings of classic stories that give us the chance to see them in a new light and introduce them to new people. You know what's coming, but you will still watch with bated breath as each of the players meet their end.

It is more of a farce than the movie, but it doesn't have to try too hard and the laughs come in droves. Michele Dotrice (Some Mother's Do 'Ave 'Em') leads the show as the sweet and determined Mrs. Wilbeforce, with the thieves posing as a string quartet practising in her spare room each bringing their own, unique, vibrant personalities to the stage. Paul Brown heads the troupe with an assertive yet understated performance as mastermind Professor Marcus, with William Troughton being a stand out as Harry Robinson, darting round the stage whilst his pill popping drives him to obsessive cleaning. Clive Mantle is not so secret transvestite Major Courtney, Chris McCalphy faux Cello player One-Round and Cliff Parisi looms in the background as Romanian mafia type Louis.

A character in itself is Michael Taylor's set. A beautifully quaint house interior, suffering subsidence and close proximity to the railway. When I first saw it I couldn't help but wonder how exterior scenes were going to work, so was delighted when we were treated to a car chase and even a glimpse inside the railway tunnel. A perfect example of the magic and frivolity one expects at the theatre.

And with its continued success it has just been announced that another West End run is in store. The Ladykillers will be at the Vaudeville theatre from June 2013.

The Woman In Black

The Tour

The sound of nervous laughter fills the theatre as the audience takes their seats. It can't really be as scary as everyone says, can it?

A lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Julian Forsyth) has a story to tell. Grown old, it has plagued him for many years and we meet him on the day he has hired an actor (Anthony Eden) to help him tell his tale. We could be watching a comedy as we see the actor's rather bemused frustration at the old man's lacklustre reading. And so the actor suggests to tell it in the form of a play. The actor will play the young lawyer and Arthur will play the people he meets along the way.

What follows is a chilling performance with the tension building until you are gripping your seat and glancing around in fear of seeing The Woman in Black. Forsyth and Eden, who have both played the role on the West End, both give fantastic performances and of course not forgetting the other stars of the show, the sound and lighting crews who create the perfect atmosphere for such a ghostly tale. Nothing is overdone so you never know what to expect and the scary moments are always different and exciting. Not much else is needed, with just a few props and your imagination you will be left hiding behind your hands and filling the room with your screams.

And so it is easy to see why the show has continued to play to packed crowds for more than 25 years, the mystery and undeniable curiosity that surrounds it drawing people in. A marvellous piece of theatre, The Woman In Black will stay with you and haunt you well into the night.