Review
Set in the main room of Amberwood House, the residence of Gregory Black, this play covers the week after the death of Gregory's wife, Edwina.
Due to suspicious circumstances surrounding Edwina's death, Detective Henry Martin is sent to investigate. Stephen plays the role of detective extremely well - he appears as a likeable character, doing his job in an uncomfortable situation to the best of his ability. As the story unfolds however, we realise there is much more to this character than first appeared. He has an excellent grasp of the situation, but has lulled Gregory and Elizabeth (Edwina's companion, but Gregory's lover) into a false sense of security. As he starts to voice his suspicions, softly dropping comments into the conversations, the couple become increasingly unsure of each others involvement in Edwina's death.
I greatly enjoyed Stephens portrayal of the detective, and Georgina Sutton was excellent as Elizabeth. Katie Evans, too, was quite a formidable force as the doting Ellen. I have to admit to some disappointment at Stephen Beckett's performance. While competent on the whole, he lacked emotion for me in some key scenes. However, I did only see a preview performance so am hoping to be pleasantly surprised when I go again. This is a production well worth seeing though and it was good to see Stephen tackling a different kind of role.
