Trap for a Lonely Man
Reviewed by the Doorsteppa Magazine
After being unable to make City Players’ previous production (Boeing Boeing, which I heard great things about) I was glad to be back at the welcoming Corner Playhouse for the group’s take on Robert Thomas’ murder mystery Trap For A Lonely Man.
Set in an isolated chalet in the French Alps, the play is a gripping psychological thriller concerning a man who has apparently lost his wife, and is rapidly losing his mind.
Starting with The Man (played by Matthew Joynes) explaining the circumstances of the disappearance of his wife, only three months ago, to a police inspector (John Donnelly) the story takes a gripping turn when a priest (Christopher Graham) turns up bringing the wife (Alex Dornan) with him.
The story forces you to ask the question ‘Is this man having serious psychological problems or is an imposter playing his wife?’. When the couple are alone things appear to become clearer, or do they? With so many twists it is remarkable that the cast managed to keep up the suspense and it is a testimony to the hard work that must have gone on behind the scenes that they did.
The play was carefully paced and felt natural. A careful balance between restraint and mania kept me hooped to the story until the wonderful conclusion.
As always the set design was incredible and it is hard to believe how different the location feels for all City Players’ productions.
From the moment the curtains open the cast provide us with a flawless performance. There is no doubt that this presentation of Trap For A Lonely Man was another success, and this was confirmed by the applause and comments after the final curtain.
It is sometimes easy to forget that City Players are a small voluntary team. Organising rehearsing and producing three plays a year must be incredibly difficult; yet the productions always run smoothly.
However they are always on the lookout for new faces, on stage or behind the scenes, of all ages. If you are interested in any aspect of theatre I would strongly recommend going along to see what they are all about.
"Trap for a Lonely Man". The Doorsteppa, Feb 2017. Print.