Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 17th June 2023
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
4.5****
Peter James’s Wish You Were Dead is the latest installment following Detective Roy Grace’s adventures. This time Grace is taking a deserved holiday with his wife and a couple of friends at what promises to be an idyllic French chateau. But things don’t turn out exactly as they had hoped…
The curtains open to a beautiful set. Run down yet sumptuous, with an impressive use of space and perspective to create the impression of grandeur.
Soon Grace (George Rainsford), his wife Cleo (Katie McGlynn) and their friend Kaitlynn Carter (Gemma Stroyan) arrive at the chateau on this (naturally) dark and stormy night. A backdrop familiar enough to movie and theatre goers that it was (cleverly) alluded to in the script. A nice touch. Our friends make a likeable traveling party and Cleo and Roy a believable couple – fine acting and chemistry from all involved.
Soon the French maid Madame L’Eveque appears, played suitably off kilter by Rebecca McKinnis. Like the house, there is something unsettling about her and she conveys a mood of impending menace you can’t quite put your finger on (or is it your imagination). Wonderfully nuanced, Rebecca was a delight. Clive Mantle’s reveal (as Curtis) was very well handled, producing a delicious surprise… He too was perfectly cast and held me spellbound with his characterization. The direction was fast paced yet with room to breathe so it felt natural; all credit to Director Jonathan O’Boyle and Stage Adaptor Shaun McKenna. I’ll mention here that the piece is jumpy. More than once I saw fellow attendees leave their seats only to return to them chuckling at their nervousness. There’s a nicely judged ramping up of the tension, leaving the first half on a cliff hanger, making us anticipate the second half enormously…
Act 2 is where the fun begins, at least for the baddies as it turns into a war of attrition, revenge, plot and sub plot. Oh what tangled webs we weave… and there’s plenty of weaving going on, believe me! The baddies are very much as you’d expect – think the Krays (are there no baddies whose accents aren’t like extras from Eastenders?). And others arrive who may not have much stage time but do a fine job with the limited lines they have. Everyone shines brightest in the second half as the tension grows. Bravo to all the cast. There’s an ingenious escape twist and an ending which hangs in the air (was it true or ruse…). Again, in anticipation that you will want to see the play, I won’t give anything away.
I was totally unfamiliar with this series of books/films so came at the work as a standalone piece. That didn’t matter since tonight’s stage play works on its own merits and has enough exposition to explain events fully on the evening. I found it extremely enjoyable and gripping and would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good drama or crime caper. I’m already looking forward to the next installment.