Edward Alderton Theatre Home | News | This Season | Next Season | Bookings | Auditions | Members | Archive | History | Location | Links | Contact Us   Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring Directed by Mike Poole 19-26 January 1991 (7 performances) Frazzled drama critic Mortimer Brewster has two aunts who ply lonely geezers with poisoned libations, one sociopathic brother who looks like Boris Karloff, one bonkers brother who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt, one impatient new bride - and only one night to make it turn out all right... Cast Abby Brewster Mavis Dunphy Dr Harper Brian Warner Teddy Brewster Tony Donnelly Officer Brophy Barry Hayward Officer Klein Andy Hawkes Martha Brewster Freda Phillips Elaine Harper Alison Armit Mortimer Brewster David Holmes Mr Gibbs Alan Heard Jonathan Brewster Peer Richardson Dr Einstein David Hampton Officer O'Hara Paul Lay Lt Rooney Simon Fenson Mr Witherspoon Gordon Bryant Crew Stage Manager Bob Phillips  Assistant Stage Manager Jo Cook Set Construction Mark Charlwood, Andy Hawkes, Chris La Roche, Rosemarie Ryan Costumes Freda Phillips  Properties Diane Rowe Lighting Design & Operation Tim Hewitt Sound Design Bernard Tilley Sound Operation Jean Sharp Review Home-made wine with a deadly kick Now more than 50 years old, Joseph Kesselring's Arsenic and Old Lace somehow looks its age for the first ten minutes or so at the Edward Alderton Theatre, Bexleyheath. Gradually, however, the quite preposterous story takes a firm hold of its audience and provides a delightful evening's entertainment. Two charming old ladies have taken it upon themselves to send all those who they believe to be lonely and unhappy to a much happier abode using a lethal mixture of cyanide, strychnine and arsenic in their home-made elderberry wine. They are convinced they are providing a kindly service to their victims who they bury in their cellar after a solemn service of committal. Now considered a classic, it is a gentle and amusing play punctuated by moments of pure farce. Mavis Dunphy and Freda Phillips are outstanding as the murderesses and there is an excellent arid highly menacing performance by Peter Richardson as their criminal brother whose own list of victims is almost on a par with his sisters'. David Holmes as their nephew has the opportunity to overact and rush around the stage in trying to prevent more murders but he looked too young to have been one of New York's leading theatre critics. With the whole cast exhibiting impressive acting skills under Mike Poole's direction it will still be worth looking out for David Hampton's study of a creepy plastic surgeon whose skills are put to quite unethical uses. Arsenic and Old Lace continues until this Saturday Roy Atterbury Kentish Times | 24 January 1991