REVIEW - Weston Mercury and Somersetshire Herald Friday November 11th 1955 - DRAMATIC SOCIETY PRESENTS AGATHA CHRISTIE THRILLER

"THE HOLLOW" AT KNIGHTSTONE THEATRE

​

"The Hollow" was the play, and very hollow was the

first night of this Weston Dramatic Society production

at Knightstone Theatre. Rain and wind beat around

Knightstone island, considerably helping to create

atmosphere for the Agatha Christie thriller, but 

scarcely assisting the box office.

The audience was very small, and unfortunately it

contained an element which seemed to regard the

play in the light of some Victorian melodrama. There

were occasional disconcerting laughs in the wrong

places, and when John Cristow, mortally wounded,

slumped across the stage there were giggles, and

someone remarked, "He's had it!" Imagine a cast

trying to struggle against this sort of thing on a first

night! To achieve vital playing before a small house

was task enough, without having to contend with a

destructive reaction, unintentional thought this

undoubtedly was.

In the circumstances, one's reflections on this first-

night's shortcomings are governed by a certain

amount of sympathy for the players, who were

struggling against great odds in their bid to create

atmosphere. Allowance must also be made for the

fact that producer Leslie Titley had a cast which mixed the experienced and inexperienced.

        Action Too Slow

In general, the performance was somewhat flat. The players knew their lines and also had their characters well drawn, but the action was much too slow, and some of the players did not put enough into their characters - far from being larger than life, they were scarcely life-size.

These are faults which by now should have been rectified, and the concluding performances should see the company providing a very satisfying production.

The action of the play passes in the attractive garden room at Sir Henry Angkatell's house, "The Hollow," near London. Guests have arrived for the week-end. One of the pastimes in which they indulge is shooting practice near the house, and when one of the guests, an eminent doctor, is murdered, almost everyone in the house can be said to have a motive for murdering him, and to have the means at hand to do it. The plot works out in intriguing Agatha Christie vein.

        Her First Major Role

The most outstanding individual success is that of a young player, Thelma Horsey, making her first appearance in a major role with the Society in the part of that charming character, Midge Harvey. Midge is a sort of Cinderella or poor relation in the Angkatell family, and is still regarded as a child by Edward Angkatell, with whom she is in love.

The last act brings love's awakening, and, despite the emptiness of the theatre and all that went to handicap a first night, the little scene in which Midge stops Edward as he is about to commit suicide, and they are re-united, was the most sensitively played and touching interlude in the performance.

There is, as yet, an excusable lack of sophistication in Miss Horsey's acting, but her Midge is a very good performance indeed. She has a big asset in her delightful voice, which is well-produced, and, which engagingly reflects mood, and she achieves an affectionate, smiling and sunny character.

        Difficult Task

Foster Tanner, as Edward, has the difficult task of playing a character who is naturally of a rather subdued type. His interpretation, to begin with, seemed a little mixed, as though he had not quite made up his mind about the character. In the last act, however, he rises to a full realisation of what is needed, and Edward becomes a quiet, but winning, character, and is realised with sensitivity that contributes to the quality of the scene with Midge.

The strong character of Henrietta, the sculptress, who is John Cristow's mistress, did not go with the subdued playing and voice of Ruth Alford in the first act. From the second act onwards, however, this was an improving performance, gaining in vitality and character.

Mrs. Alford does right, I think, not to try to interpret Henrietta as an unusual sort of woman. Her conception of Henrietta as artistic, impulsive, but not unnatural, seems just right, and I especially like her playing in the big scene with Gerda Cristow in the last act.

        Unpleasant Doctor

Reg. Salisbury plays John Cristow, the not altogether pleasant doctor whose contribution is abruptly terminated by a pistol shot. He gets the self-centred aspect of the character extremely well, but Cristow is just a little more of a mixture than Mr. Salisbury makes him. Women fall for Cristow despite their knowledge of his selfishness. Despite his infidelity and all that is bad about him, he has charm, he has some good in him, but he cannot help himself. Mr. Salisbury's performance is very good, but, by just a shade, lacks full sympathy with the character.

The part of Gerda Cristow, the shy, simpering, almost feeble sort of wife, who suddenly switches to a mood entirely out of keeping with previous character, is one of great difficulty, and Jean Charles, who plays it, excusably does not do so with absolute conviction.

The timid Mrs. Cristow is ably realised, and Miss Charles does extremely well in her part's drama in the last act, although falling just short of being wholly convincing.

The film star, Veronica Craye, another woman in the life of John Cristow, is played by Joan Gaskell. Another far from easy role this, since it is not easy for the amateur to suggest the greatness of the professional. Miss Gaskell, however, achieves delightful personality, and her lines are exceptionally well put over.

        Jeanne de Casalis Role

The Jeanne de Casalis role of feather-braied Lady Angkatell is played by Phyllis Cooksley. It demands exceptional professional skill to perform this part ideally, by Phyllis Cooksley makes a most satisfying attempt. It marks a very big step forward in her acting ability. Her Lady Angkatell has character, is played with just the right element of buoyancy, and the light relief the contribution is intended to bring is well realised.

Leighton Norman, in a very sound performance as Sir Henry Angkatell, reacts with amusingly appropriate bewilderment to her ladyship's gaily irresponsible ways.

Neville Redman seems a little young as Inspector Colquhoun, but plays the part with freshness that is happily removed from the hackneyed type of performance usually seen in this type of role. Kenneth Smith's Sergeant Penny has a bright, roving eye, and Gillian Fear gets commendable vivacity into her maid, Doris. With a little more show of years and dignity, David Williams' performance as the Butler, Gudgeon, will be admirably achieved.

J.R. Pugh is stage manager, and Sadie Ramsey, Jack Salisbury and David West his assistants. The piano interludes are by Marjorie West.

Concluding performances are on Saturday.                                                                                                      "EVERYMAN"