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|
| Cast | |
| Curly Delafield | Peter Griffin |
| Jenny | Claire Lewis-McClean |
| Barman | Mark Campbell |
| Storeman | Mark Campbell |
| Policeman | Mark Campbell |
| Porter | Mark Campbell |
| Mrs Dunning | Stephanie Dungate |
| Patrick Delafield | Tony Donnelly |
| Max | Danny Grimwood |
| Crew | |
| Stage Manager | Christine McKeon |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Julia Randall |
| Crew | Angela Randall |
| Set Design | Mike Higginson |
| Set Construction | Mike Higginson, Tony Donnelly, Julia Randall |
| Lighting Design | John Buckle, Bernard Tilley |
| Lighting & Sound Operation | Allison Henderson |
| Music | Roger Gay |
With thanks to Shirley Andrews, Maureen Hardwen, Jenny Devonshire and Wendy Marsh for their contribution to the production.
Review
Knuckles are bared in this play
This week at the Edward Alderton Theatre in Bexleyheath, yet another play by the prolific British dramatist David Hare takes to the stage in a production directed by Mike Higginson.
As many non-professional theatre groups have found to their cost, David Hare's very individual approach to drama tends to be esoteric and full of subtle allusions to social problems, the state of the establishment, and other elements of society mat are woven almost imperceptibly into his works. Unless directors are aware of these undoubted pitfalls, they can be left with a fairly trite and forgettable production on their hands.
Fortunately, this is not the case with
the Edward Alderton Theatre's revival of Knuckle which was
Hare's first work to reach the West End during the 1970s. A
combination of Mike Higginson's very atmospheric and versatile set,
superb lighting by John Buckle and Bernard Tilley, and great acting by
the whole company make this a real tribute to the writer's admittedly
sometimes flawed genius.
Anyone who is addicted to Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer genre will
love the air of menace, constantly changing plot, and characterizations
that are larger than life.
Curley (Peter Griffin) is looting for
his young sister who disappeared on an Eastbourne beach. Was she
murdered, or why? Curley is a young arms dealer and full of venom. His
friend Max, beautifully played in an understated way by Danny
Grimwood, seems to know more than he's revealing. And so does the
tarty, sexy club owner Jenny (Claire Lewis-McClean).
And what about Curly's evasive father (Tony Donnelly) and his
extremely close housekeeper (Stephanie Dungate)? This is a play about
a series of psychological assaults. It teeters on the edge of violence
throughout, and there is a constant air of a Spillane thriller being
brought to life.
But the reality is more complex.
Roy Atterbury
Kentish Times | 3 July 2003
