JACK THE RIPPER
Blackmore
Players at the Village Hall
09.06.16
for Sardines
We were promised
fun, terror, song and dance, and Blackmore Players certainly
delivered in this clever blend of music hall, melodrama and serial
murder.
It all happens in
the mean streets of Whitechapel and in the Steam Packet Public House,
where Simon Haskell's genial Chairman tried to keep order amongst the
dockers, pimps and whores who make up the clientèle and the chorus.
This chorus was
on stage for most of the action – just as well, since getting them
all on and off stage is a long process which inevitably slows the
action. Pace generally was a problem, with cues picked up slowly,
dragging dialogue and sagging gaps of silence between scenes.
But the show,
directed by Steve Drinkall with Dave Smith the producer, had many
ingenious touches. I liked the magic lantern projections for the
shadow of the Ripper, and the instant switch from reality to pub
stage, simply done with lighting and acting style.
Some fine
performances amongst the large cast. Particularly pleasing to see a
number of talented younger actors, bringing freshness and verve to
the proceedings as well as boding well for the future of this
enterprising village company.
The four lads had
some nice comedy moments, and got to impersonate some of the usual
suspects in Act Two. James Hughes especially impressive as Dan
Mendoza – his Sing Sing duet the first of many telling
contributions. Lisa Rawlings was excellent as the tragic Marie, one
of several nicely characterized sisters of the night. “Step Across
The River” the most successful of the serious songs. Good vocal
work from Anna Green's Polly, and from Sandra Trott in the unlikely
double of doss-house proprietrix and Empress of India.
Montague Druitt,
aka Toynbee, was played with some style and exemplary clarity by Sam
Haskell. An enigmatic figure, he's the villain of the melodrama, as
well as Marvel the Mystic.
The question mark
ending, with the final victim led off to the quiet canal path, and
one last Ripper shadow high on the wall, was genuinely chilling.
The music – a
prepared piano sound from the pit keys-and-drums duet – was in the
capable hands of Shirley Parrott. And there were many lovely musical
moments – the torch songs, the knees-ups, the a capella
opening to the trio ...
Nice to see this
rather neglected little musical again – chronologically and
stylistically somewhere between Oliver! and Sweeney Todd – the
history, the jollity, the gore and the pathos all enthusiastically
tackled by the Blackmore Players.
production photograph: Richard Smith
