Review: DEATHTRAP, The Mill at Sonning
Photo credit: Andreas Lambis
Ira Levin’s play Deathtrap may be nearly forty-five years old, but it still packs a thrilling punch. It’s clever construction of two people discussing the pressures, process, and ownership of ideas in the writing of murder mysteries keeps the audience guessing as the plot twists and turns. The presence in the author’s home of a multitude of suitable murder weapons and posters of his past successful and unsuccessful plays with such titles as the Murder Game and Spoonful of Murder adds to the tension and teases the audience. Nothing is quite as it seems as we watch the play we are watching being written. Critically, the pace needs to be sustained to sweep us along without time to reflect on the unlikely plot!
This is a production that almost defines the term meta-theatre (a play that draws attention to its nature as drama) as throughout, we are very conscious that with every line and every nuanced look, we are being reminded that Sidney Bruhl, the established crime writer, is thinking about murder and how he would execute it if his reality was in a play. It is a clever device as it neatly manages to build tension through the anticipation of what is going to happen next while sustaining a light comic touch that brings giggles of amusement as it develops. As he says: “it’s a perfect one set, five-character play”.
Michael Holt’s set design is magnificent, inevitably putting the four entrances to the sitting room of Bruhl’s Connecticut lodge along the back wall as is necessary in the tight space of the Mill at Sonning’s stage but making sense of their locations. Dressed in late seventies style with a wonderful stained-glass window that enables the car lights and lightening to break into the room at key moments, and dark curtains to cover the garden doors to add some unexpected moments of delight. The Houdini hand cuffs, mace, cross bow, dagger, and pistols are practical and convincing as if in a police crime museum.
The five characters are well cast and acted, each easily establishing their distinctive characteristics in the physicality and delivery and the fights scenes between them are extremely well staged. Sidney Bruhl is played by Nick Waring. We can see his mind whirring as he plots and plans. Even if the next great script will not quite reach the fingertips on the typewriter in front of him, we believe he could write a great mystery play again. George Watkins is his protégé Clifford Anderson, having met at the author’s seminar and aspiring to write a great play. Like the character in the current West End play, The Mirror, can he write original works or only record what he experiences? Emily Raymond is Sydney’s loyal wife Myra with early hints about her independent wealth and underlying health issues, she presents as very concerned and reinforces the audiences understanding of the author’s intentions. The arrival of Helga ten Dorp, the psychic neighbour, played with great intensity and simmering suspicions by Issy Van Randwyck, ups the comic moments but adds to the tension as we await her inevitable return appearance. There is no detective character in this play but Philip Childs as the fifth character (Porter Milgrim) provides the stable logical thinking arriving late to the plot but still having a telling impact.
Tam Williams directs and tells in the programme of watching his own father, Simon, playing Bruhl on tour and brings that detailed knowledge of how the play engages the audience to bear in this production. They add, we think, a line about how an idea would not work, “not even for dinner theatre” to amuse The Mill at Sonning’s audience who have just enjoyed their two-course meal! This magical little venue knows what its audience like, Ayckbourn and Cooney comedies, murder mysteries and musicals, and Deathdrop with all its knowing contrived theatrics is a perfect serving. It’s a well-crafted play and well staged production, with well-acted performances and as a result, a thoroughly entertaining evening by the river in Berkshire.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne
Deathtrap plays at the Mill at Sonning Theatre until 30 March, with further information here.