Weston Theatre, Theatr Clwyd, Mold – until Saturday 4th October 2025
Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
We arrived at Theatr Clwyd on a very wet Saturday for the matinee performance of Snake in the Grass, You can still smell the newness inside the all new brightly lit foyer welcoming you inside, up the small flight of stairs we are greeted by the busy and may I say through a rumbling tummy the delicious smells emitting from Bryn Williams new restaurant which has (as theatre clwyd always has had) fantastic views of the Clwydian Range including Moel Famau.
We were here to see a performance of Snake in the Grass, written in 2002 by renowned Play write and Producer Alan Ayckbourn who with over 90 full length plays under his belt well you know he has the pedigree. This play in particular lingers over farcical moments of black comedy, hints at loving family reunions before snatching away secrets and delving us into darker realms. Director Fracesca Goodridge warns us with one simple sentence to expect twists and turns! The Weston is the smaller of the two theatre spaces named in honour of the huge donation received to aid redevelopment, it’s a small black box that just like the Mix holds the same intimate impact but with far more comfort. That small black box was wonderfully transformed and you can be forgiven for your eyes missing certain layouts of the striking set design, it’s only when the lights flash and the loud bangs occur do I instantly realise it’s a house of sorts obviously in ruins with a tree growing through the roof (it’s actually a Summer House built to cover an old well) and the metal isn’t part of the new theatre design but actually garden fencing with gates.
Annabel Chester arrives through the same door we walked in though wearing a mac and looking like a latecomer only the fact she is portrayed with total stoic stiff upper lip by the formidable Sue Cleaver that clipped British accent covering all those years having run away at such a young age, used to hiding behind that mask. Her Sister is the total opposite Miriam Chester appears firstly as downtrodden tied to the apron strings unable to think for herself before slowly releasing an unhinged side, Nicola Stephenson is all fizzy hair and somewhat scary in a way you just don’t know what she’s going to do next. Our third protagonist is Alice Moody a disgruntled Nurse sacked by Miriam who uses the fact Annabel has long abandoned her family to sow seeds of doubt. I loved Lisa
Zahra who reminded me so much of Ruth Jones as Gwen, she is there to unite two bickering sisters or is she? The humour is delivered by a somewhat nervous, anxious ranting woman at the end of her tether when confronted if she killed her Father Miriam responds with ‘maybe a little bit’ ‘accidently’ pushing him down the stairs; never actually admitting to anything. This play is perfect for autumn, it’s main theme is perhaps ghosts, those who have long passed on and those which haunt the living through fears and long hidden secrets. It touches upon abuse and its effects just enough to make you start questioning, alcohol and pills as coping mechanisms and the long suffering effects all these things breed; from lost lives, businesses and ultimately sanity and let’s not forget extortion. I’ve avoided retelling the story for lovers of The Mousetrap will tell you shhhh do not spoil the enjoyment of a great mystery by revealing all the facts. The twists and turns are a plenty and you will be pondering “I wonder if?”, all the way through, including my husband who stated a fact during the interval only to be proved right, ‘told ya’ he muttered during a large bang . Snake In The Grass is an all round great play aimed across the board to the masses; well written, great stage direction, brilliantly acted, the set fantastic and lighting perfect. It invokes ghosts with murders but can you call the twists and turns before they occur?