ACT in Action Issue 17

happened in his life. The suspense builds throughout the two acts until it comes to a shocking conclusion. This thriller was quite engrossing, though it started off quite slowly for most of the first act, but I think that this was the intention by the director, Lisa Barker, as it only heightened how the dialogue and action accelerated to a conclusion in the second act. The set décor of bold wallpaper, liberally decorated with musical theatre posters, gave the audience an insight into Elizabeth’s past and we soon learn that she was a show dancer. During her life in theatre she was a fan and, by self-admission, she stalked her favourite actors, one being Michael, when he played the part of Tony in West Side Story. As a fan she stood outside the stage door waiting for a glimpse, a chat and an autograph from her favourite actor but, as the saying goes, “beware a woman scorned”. Throughout this play there are twist and turns as one would expect from any thriller. This is a very wordy play and must be well rehearsed, and a trusting bond needs to develop between the two actors who carry it. Both Victoria Johnson (Elizabeth) and Chris Burton (Michael) achieved this. It was evident that a considerable amount of time had been spent rehearsing the moves around stage. I should like to congratulate Victoria on her use of the wheelchair. She moved around the stage with ease but as anyone knows, me included, they are not the easiest of things to manoeuvre. The set, designed by Polina Sparks and Alan Reidsma, had been constructed with all this movement in mind as it was very wide and deep with the minimum amount of furniture in the centre. I especially enjoyed the effective rise and fall in dialogue intonation throughout by Victoria and Chris. This conveyed the ebb and flow of the tension, being calm at first and building to a crescendo only for the dialogue to go back to softer spoken words, but ultimately, building to the resolution. Their body language, moves and expressions highlighted the emotions that were conveyed through the dialogue. The symbolic artwork on the programme cover of a puppet shouts out “manipulation”, which is one of the core themes in this play. It was a shame to learn that after this performance the production was cancelled owing to the ongoing situation with the Corvid-19 virus. Thanks must go to all those people who have worked so hard to put this production on, even if it was only for one showing.

with “Sit Down Your Rockin the Boat”. The opening “Fugue for Tinhorns” with Benny and Rusty displayed some first-rate harmonies. Charismatic Sky Masterson, who bets on taking a Doll to Havana, was given all the necessary characteristics and charm by Jacob Beresford. The Doll was Sister Sarah Brown. Mia Connor made sure the character was not a total weakling and showing she was not totally swept of her feet. Both Jacob and Mia delightfully played the cat and mouse game. Detroit has been engaged to Adelaide for many a year but at the same time doing everything to avoid matrimony. Jake Butler-Smith as the tilted fedora, crap game host brought every nuance possible to the role. Nathan roamed the giddy Metropolis trying to find a venue to play the dice game while placating Adelaide. Nathan’s long-suffering fiancée was played by Honor Thompson. She showed Adelaide’s vulnerability with just enough sniffling for “Adelaide’s Lament”. Honor totally revelled in the role acting the character from the inside. This couple were well paired and complemented each other. “Guys and Dolls” is a show of shows, and this production had the feel-good factor. It was a great night spent in the theatre. DEAD CERTAIN by Marcus Lloyd Directed by Lisa Barker Altrincham Little Theatre This play was first published in 1999 and was staged by this society on the 21st year of its writing. It is set in a large sitting room and one presumes that it is a house of a considerable size. During this play we believe that it is played out in real time. It tells the story of Michael, a charismatic but out of work alcoholic actor who is hired for an evening by Elizabeth, a wheelchair bound ex-dancer, who has written a play and wants him to act it out with her. When Michael appears at her house, she seems harmless and pleasant but when they start to read her script, Michael starts to feel uncomfortable and he is alarmed to notice the similarities between it and his life. It is as if Elizabeth knows all about him, and this starts the building of tension and suspense. She seems able to read his mind and project forward in time events that will happen. The first scene is an exact replica of what they talk about when they first meet. Throughout the evening, Elizabeth manipulates Michael and encourages him to drink so that he becomes more unstable and questions events that have

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