I was very pleased to accept the kind invitation from Deidre Jones on behalf of BreakaLeg Productions to review the group’s latest dramatic offering – the enduring classic- ‘Gaslight’.

Having appeared in the play myself some years ago (taking the role of Inspector Rough) it was interesting and informative to watch it from an audience member’s perspective.

Gaslight is a dark tale of murder, subterfuge and madness set in the drawing-room of a well-to-do and seemingly happily married couple while outside the fog swirls eerily in the dimly-lit streets of Jack the Ripper’s Victorian London. We soon discover, however, that all is not as it seems.

This production had all the elements of the genre but for me they did not always entirely ‘gel’.

The set looked good and was dressed mostly appropriately with furniture and objects relating to the period of the play. The one piece of furniture which did look out of place was the modern looking leather sofa which looked rather incongruous in its ‘Victorian’ surroundings.  A period chaise longue would have looked splendid and would have been more in-keeping with the style and setting of the play.  The ‘working’ gas lights looked most effective and of course were necessary - being an integral part of the action.

Although there was a cast of six named parts in the play the three ‘leads’ had the vast majority of the dialogue and were all very different characters to portray. Each one presented its own challenges. Generally speaking these challenges were largely met but some moments of insecurity with lines together with some technical hitches caused the ‘magic’ to slip on occasions.  Therefore the under-lying tension and psychological atmosphere of fear was not always present.

Jim Cottrell played the villain – Jack Manningham – with relish.  He delivered his lines with a nice degree of menace but I felt overall that the delivery was rather lacking in light and shade.  I wanted him to be even more sinister and cruel to poor long suffering Bella as the play progressed. However, clear diction and good stage presence resulted in a convincing characterisation.

Bella Manningham was played well by Janie Eyre-Brook.  There was well paced development from the timid, muddled wife we saw at the outset to the strong character at the conclusion of the play – taunting and mocking her evil ‘husband’  (as we discovered during the unfolding of the story they were not even legally married!).  Some lines were lost in the quieter passages – please remember to project even when the mood is restrained. However, there were times when ‘Bella’ received some incredibly astonishing (and scary) revelations about Jack’s past with a certain degree of nonchalance.

David Fardon played the oddly named Inspector Rough – who suddenly ‘appears’ in the Manninghams  parlour to ‘rescue’ the lady of the house from a fate worse than death!  I was not totally convinced by this portrayal.  Some of the lines were not secure and there should be a warmth and depth to the character which did not seem to shine through. However, the dialogue was clear and audible although I wasn’t quite sure whether the accent aided or hindered the characterisation.

Nancy, the Manningham’s saucy, worldly and rather forward maid was played by Gemma Kitching.  She flirted outrageously with the ‘Master’ while covertly mocking her troubled ’Mistress’.  Gemma captured this character well though I thought she could have been even more ‘amorous’ with her employer.  Try to get a little more light and shade into your delivery of lines – not easy I know when lots of them consisted of ‘Yes, Sir’ and ‘No, Sir’ but perhaps even all the more important because of that. I liked your scene with Manningham after you returned from your ‘night out’.  Be careful when applying make-up.  The maid did appear rather ‘doll-like’, whereas in reality she would have had no make-up on whatsoever.

Jenny Shepherd played the Manningham’s house-keeper, Elizabeth.  This is quite a small but none-the-less important role which was played convincingly.  Diction was good and good use was made of the stage.  However, the costume left me rather baffled. Why was the house-keeper wearing a hat and gloves throughout the play?

Peter Bradley played the ‘Bobby’ who arrested and restrained Manningham when he was revealed to be the monster he was. You certainly made the most of your brief appearance and must be commended for tying your suspect so deftly to the chair so quickly!

Director, Deidre Jones, used her cast to good effect enticing some memorable performances from them.  The characters were mostly strongly drawn especially the married couple who gave convincing characterisations throughout the piece.  Some first night gremlins did seek to sabotage the proceedings but these were largely overcome. This did lead to the pace dropping on one or two occasions. Good use was made of the playing area and entrances and exits were smooth and unobtrusive.

I liked John Bradford’s simple, yet effective lighting plot and the co-ordination of the actors turning down the gas and the dimming of the lights was achieved well.  Could the general level of lighting have been taken down another notch or two maybe to give more ‘atmosphere’?  The fade to black at the end of scenes could have been much speedier.  The actors seemed to be ‘frozen’ for a long time as the lights dimmed.

The set was dressed effectively with period looking artefacts and props which were used to good effect by the cast. Could that wonderful fire place complete with glowing embers have been placed in a different location, to give it more prominence?  Maybe on the opposite wall for instance where it would have been seen more easily?  There was also a small chair down-stage of it which hid it from view somewhat which was a pity.

I liked the choice of ‘mood’ music that opened the play which really set the scene though there was a small amount of distortion caused by the slightly excessive volume.  Please, also, choose sound effects which will enhance the production.  The loud noise which accompanied the ‘forcing’ of the very small desk drawer was quite a shock and was in fact unnecessary.

The costumes were generally in keeping with the period of the play and fitted well in most cases.  Appropriate footwear was worn as far as I could ascertain.  I did think Nancy’s maid’s costume should have been full length for the period.   The house-keeper, as mentioned earlier, was in a rather strange costume for the character.  She looked rather like a visitor calling round for afternoon tea in gloves and hat rather than the bustling house keeper of a busy household.  The police constable’s costume was a little disappointing as it was quite noticeable that the trousers did not match the tunic.

The make-up was generally good and applied well so as to be unobtrusive, however, I did think Nancy’s make-up was applied a little too heavily even though there was a mention in the script about her having more colour than her mistress.

The wigs, although satisfactory in themselves, were not really in keeping with the period of the play.  Bella’s wig for example was very modern with a fringe (which often obscured her face) and a ’bob’ at the back which did not enhance the characterisation for me personally.  The wig did not convey the elegant Victorian lady that she was. I think she should either have had her hair arranged in an upswept style or gathered at the back of her neck into a net to keep it neat and tidy.

The Programme was colourful and full of back ground information about the play, the author and the actors.  There was also some information about the well-deserved achievements of the group.

In conclusion may I thank everyone involved with the production and for a very pleasant evening’s entertainment - and wish you every success with your next venture.

Rob Bertwistle, Regional Rep.,   District 12   NODA London