House Guest

Reviewed by the Eckington Doorsteppa

On a chilly dark Autumn night in Eckington, we were more than happy to take a few hours shelter in the charming Corner Playhouse Eckington, where great entertainment, hot tea and coffee, wine and friendly faces were in plentiful supply.

The Playhouse is definitely one of Eckington's hidden gems housing a lovely theatre, one of the smallest in the UK. What the Playhouse may lack in size is definitely made up for by the enthusiasm and talent of the team.

The play itself, House Guest by Francis Durbridge, was an exciting thriller guaranteed to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The brilliant set successfully conveyed the social standing and personality of the main characters, before one character even uttered a word. Similarly the great costumes and props, as well as the casts' talents for accents, fuelled the audience members' imagination in the rich telling of this thrilling tale.

From Robert Drury's appearance in his Italian holiday casual wear, to Vivian Norwood's killer heels, the impeccable attention to detail by the team was impressive. All 8 actors who appeared on stage were very talented and each played their part with the appropriate measure of drama, hysterics when called for, and humour.

It has to be said that Sergeant Clayton had the lion's share of the laughs, largely due to Ron Woodward's comic timing and delivery.

As well as the faces of the show, the rest of the team behind the scenes all contributed to make this a thrilling show. There was also plenty of action. At the start of the play, the audience were warned that there would be gun shots. Rest assured there were several impressive death scenes before a gun was even brandished!

"Just Who are the Bad Guys?!". Eckington Doorsteppa, Dec 2011. Print.