Production Reviews – The Boundary and The Real Inspector Hound
By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Richard Peoples
Performed by Combined Actors of Cambridge at the ADC Theatre from the 29th of March until the 2nd April 2011
THE BOUNDARY (co-written by Clive Exton), which opened the evening, is a perfect companion piece to Inspector Hound with its farcical look at murder and the English language.
Arriving at his office to continue work on the editing of a major dictionary, Johnson is horrified to discover that the place has been ransacked. Paper is everywhere, so much that the body of his wife, Brenda, is hidden from view. Johnson and his collaborator Bunyans conclude that the vandalism is the work of Brenda, who is then callously scorned for her lack of talent as a lexicographer.
John Russell (Johnson) and Scott Brindle (Bunyans) worked well together as they tried heroically to sort out the scattered papers into some semblance of order, getting much humour from Benda’s mishaps with definitions. Surface Rocca Russell as Brenda who, having apparently been knocked unconscious by a cricket ball; regained consciousness in time to overhear their contempt for her skills. She launched into a tirade which made Mrs Malaprop look second-rate.
Congratulations, the mental agility and verbal dexterity required to handle this role so well was impressive. The shambles of the office was supposedly caused by a cricket ball which came through the window, knocking Brenda out, the resulting draught scattering the papers. Paul Gaskell completed the cast with a swift in-and-out appearance as the cricketer.
This was a real fun piece and a great start to the evening.
THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND is a satire on theatre critics, rich territory for taking the mickey! The critics are reviewing a performance of a British whodunit. The mystery is set in the 1950s at a weekend party at Muldoon Manor; a remote English manor surrounded by swampland and fog. The family assembles for bridge and the police announce on the radio that an escaped madman is on his way towards the manor. As the mystery continues with unexpected shootings and red herrings, Birdboot and Moon become increasingly more involved in the production’s actual action, eventually finding themselves characters in the play. Enter the real Inspector Hound to crack the case.
In a comedy like this, casting is crucial, since the work of the ensemble is essential to the timing. All nine players were excellent. As the critics Michael Flintoff as Moon and Barry Brown as Birdboot worked extremely well together. Both gave well controlled performances. It would have been so easy to go over-the-top but they resisted.
At Muldoon Manor there’s the taciturn Mrs. Drudge played expertly by Geraldine Hindley, who constantly takes centre stage. Her role includes turning on the radio and answering the phone, both devices used to explain things to the audience. There’s Simon (played by a promising Tim Gifford), the mysterious stranger who courts the sporty young heiress Felicity (well played by Lindsey McAuley who obviously has a gift for the melodramatic); Lady Cynthia (played alluringly by Alex Priestly), the amorous widow; and the duplicitous Major Magnus (played by the versatile Peter Simmonds), who skillfully rotates about the manor in a wheel chair. Then there’s the intrepid Inspector Hound, played by Chris Hindley, making the most of his few minutes on stage. A special mention must go to Paul Gaskell, who remained totally motionless throughout in his portrayal of ‘the Body’.
Chris Hindley’s settings created an intimate playing space, which worked well for both plays. I have not seen the critics actually seated within the set before. It worked well up to a point but did cut the acting area down for the players in the whodunit. Costumes, sound and lighting were excellent in both plays and radio and telephone cues spot on. Director Richard Peoples is to be congratulated for introducing us to The Boundary, a short piece that seems to be little known and seldom performed which, twinned with The Real Inspector Hound, gave us an evening of controlled madness, mayhem and comic anarchy.
Reviewed by Julian Christopher
Photographs of these two production can be found on the group’s website.
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