Birmingham Hippodrome – until 21 July 2018
Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock
4****
The play that goes….very right! This brilliantly funny piece of theatre is brought to light by Chris Bean (played by Jake Curran), from the wonderful mind of Mischief Theatre. There are not enough words to describe the excellence of excellence of Mischief, to bring this hilariously perfect script to the stage.
The auditorium is adorned with an extortionately ornate set accompanied with a jaunty soundtrack to get you in the mood. The stage manager, Annie Twilloil, accompanied by lighting operator Trevor Watson burst onto the stage as the audience are coming in and start shouting across the auditorium in hopes of finding their lost cast member, Winston the bulldog. Right away, the action starts with the set falling apart and this really sets the tone for what will ensue for the rest of the night.
Jake Curran, whilst playing Chris Bean, who plays Inspector Carter as well as being Director, designer, prop maker and so many other credits is superb. He has exceptional comedic timing and kept the production going as best he could! We saw a very raw, unscripted moment during the production, where an audience member shouted out and he stayed completely in character whilst addressing the audience and the particular member. It showed his prowess and conveyed his astonishing ad-lib skills. He truly makes a perfect production.
Each member of the cast was outstanding and it is so difficult to pinpoint one actor for expertise as the cast worked amazingly together. It really was a treat to be able to see the chemistry and friendship on stage that is clear to be a strong bond offstage also.
The set is a work of art in this production. Whatever is on stage is a hazard and as described by the stagehand Trevor Watson (Gabriel Paul) ‘This set is a bloody death trap!’
It is flimsy and wobbly and falls at any given moment. Paintings fall from the walls, buckets set on fire, mantle pieces come apart and most impressively, the study floor slants forward multiple times and nearly throws members of the cast off of it! It was a throat in stomachs moment, as I feared for the wellbeing of Robert Grove (Kazeem Tosin Amore), who plays Thomas Colleymore.
The Murder at Haversham Manor is a play that definitely goes wrong, whilst going very right! My cheeks were hurting from smiling so much and the laughter throughout the auditorium was infectious. I commend each member of the cast, who all managed to keep a straight face throughout the hilarity and chaos and gave us a preposterously peculiar performance.
If you are in Bristol, this is one to catch – You will not be disappointed