REVIEW
✭✭✭☆☆ 3/5
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
With MISCHA BARTON MAKING HER UK STAGE DEBUT
Palace Theatre,
Southend
from Tuesday 31 March until Saturday 4 April
✭✭✭☆☆ 3/5
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
With MISCHA BARTON MAKING HER UK STAGE DEBUT
Palace Theatre,
Southend
from Tuesday 31 March until Saturday 4 April
There’s something rather alluring about revisiting a classic of the silver screen, especially one so steeped in the shadowy intrigue of film noir as Double Indemnity. Originally an eight part serial for Liberty Magazine in the 1920s and brought to life in the Billy Wilder film Double Indemnity with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck starring in the iconic 1944 film. Double Indemnity is often considered as a defining example of the film noir genre with writer, James M Cain stating, “It’s the only picture I ever saw made from my books that had things in it I wish I had thought of.”
It’s a bold move by Tom Holloway to translate that smoky cinematic atmosphere onto the stage but this has been done pretty well with an impressively overbearing set and some interesting direction from Oscar Toeman and movement from Chi-San Howard.
As well as fans of the film, with Mischa Barton, (probably best known as Marissa Cooper in The OC), as the star appeal for this play, there was an inevitable busy and expectant buzz in the auditorium of the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on the opening night in Southend.
At its core, Double Indemnity is a deliciously convoluted tale of lust, greed and calculated betrayal. Barton steps into the heels of the ultimate femme fatale, Phyllis Nirdlinger, a woman who knows exactly how to weaponise her allure, with confident poise and looks stunning in the role. Opposite her, insurance salesman Walter Huff, nicely played by Ciarán Owens, is the protagonist of the piece, hooked by Nirdlinger’s sultry confidence and the promise of something far more alluring than a routine policy sale. Together, they hatch a supposedly foolproof plan to dispose of her husband and claim the insurance payout.
There’s no shortage of innuendo and metaphor-laced dialogue throughout. Huff’s reputation as a bit of a womaniser precedes him, but Mrs Nirdlinger proves more than a match. However, their exchanges do rather simmer than sizzle and you’re never really convinced of their passion.
The first act takes its time to kick into gear with a great deal of chat and scene-setting, which doesn’t really help to build any momentum. That said, by the close of Act One you do feel the story is worth coming back for.
Act Two has a definite lift in pace and the supporting cast are given the opportunity to portray some nicely formed character roles. Martin Marquez as Keyes really gets into his role as the gruff, no nonsense but fair boss; and Joseph Langdon gets a chance to perform when he takes on the role of Mr Norton in contrast to playing Nino, the boyfriend of Phyllis’s step daughter, Lola, another nice portrayal from Sophia Roberts.
Adapting a film of this nature for the stage is no easy feat, particularly when it comes to scene transitions. This production handles the challenge well shifting between interiors, offices and even a train station, with a fluidity that thankfully keeps things moving. The inherent stylisation of noir works in its favour here—lighting shifts and shadow play doing much of the heavy lifting. The lighting and sound design work beautifully together here to create that unmistakable sense of unease—moody, atmospheric and quietly oppressive. Set against a somewhat Brutalist staging, it forms a striking visual that complements the narrative.
The plot itself delivers a few twists along the way, although seasoned fans will likely find them more predictable than shocking. There’s just enough intrigue to hold your attention even if it never quite tips into the edge-of-your-seat territory with a slightly underwhelming ending.
Overall, this is a polished and visually engaging adaptation that honours its origins although somehow not really unlocking its true dramatic potential. A pleasant theatrical noir experience, certainly—but one that doesn’t quite manage to put the thrill into thriller.
Review: Kim Tobin
It’s a bold move by Tom Holloway to translate that smoky cinematic atmosphere onto the stage but this has been done pretty well with an impressively overbearing set and some interesting direction from Oscar Toeman and movement from Chi-San Howard.
As well as fans of the film, with Mischa Barton, (probably best known as Marissa Cooper in The OC), as the star appeal for this play, there was an inevitable busy and expectant buzz in the auditorium of the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on the opening night in Southend.
At its core, Double Indemnity is a deliciously convoluted tale of lust, greed and calculated betrayal. Barton steps into the heels of the ultimate femme fatale, Phyllis Nirdlinger, a woman who knows exactly how to weaponise her allure, with confident poise and looks stunning in the role. Opposite her, insurance salesman Walter Huff, nicely played by Ciarán Owens, is the protagonist of the piece, hooked by Nirdlinger’s sultry confidence and the promise of something far more alluring than a routine policy sale. Together, they hatch a supposedly foolproof plan to dispose of her husband and claim the insurance payout.
There’s no shortage of innuendo and metaphor-laced dialogue throughout. Huff’s reputation as a bit of a womaniser precedes him, but Mrs Nirdlinger proves more than a match. However, their exchanges do rather simmer than sizzle and you’re never really convinced of their passion.
The first act takes its time to kick into gear with a great deal of chat and scene-setting, which doesn’t really help to build any momentum. That said, by the close of Act One you do feel the story is worth coming back for.
Act Two has a definite lift in pace and the supporting cast are given the opportunity to portray some nicely formed character roles. Martin Marquez as Keyes really gets into his role as the gruff, no nonsense but fair boss; and Joseph Langdon gets a chance to perform when he takes on the role of Mr Norton in contrast to playing Nino, the boyfriend of Phyllis’s step daughter, Lola, another nice portrayal from Sophia Roberts.
Adapting a film of this nature for the stage is no easy feat, particularly when it comes to scene transitions. This production handles the challenge well shifting between interiors, offices and even a train station, with a fluidity that thankfully keeps things moving. The inherent stylisation of noir works in its favour here—lighting shifts and shadow play doing much of the heavy lifting. The lighting and sound design work beautifully together here to create that unmistakable sense of unease—moody, atmospheric and quietly oppressive. Set against a somewhat Brutalist staging, it forms a striking visual that complements the narrative.
The plot itself delivers a few twists along the way, although seasoned fans will likely find them more predictable than shocking. There’s just enough intrigue to hold your attention even if it never quite tips into the edge-of-your-seat territory with a slightly underwhelming ending.
Overall, this is a polished and visually engaging adaptation that honours its origins although somehow not really unlocking its true dramatic potential. A pleasant theatrical noir experience, certainly—but one that doesn’t quite manage to put the thrill into thriller.
Review: Kim Tobin
Hollywood star Mischa Barton (The O.C.) makes her long-awaited UK stage debut as the ultimate femme fatale in Double Indemnity, a darkly compelling new stage adaptation of one of the greatest crime novels of the 20th century, written by James M. Cain. The production comes to the Palace Theatre in Southend from Tuesday 31 March until Saturday 4 April.
The story that inspired Billy Wilder’s legendary film noir masterpiece, is set in Los Angeles during the 1930s, amidst the wreckage of the Great Depression. Double Indemnity follows Walter Huff, a sharp-eyed insurance salesman who has built his career spotting scams. But when he meets the dangerously seductive Phyllis Nirdlinger (Barton) to discuss her husband’s life insurance policy, he is drawn into a web of lust, greed, and betrayal.
Together, they plot the perfect crime: murder the husband, cash in the policy, and vanish into the Californian sunset. But passion clouds judgment and guilt corrodes even the most perfect of plans. As their conspiracy unravels and mistrust festers, Walter and Phyllis find themselves battling not only the law, but each other.
Mischa Barton said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be returning to the stage and making my UK theatre debut in 'Double Indemnity'. This classic film noir favourite is a gripping tale of deceit, tension, and suspense and I cannot wait to step into the role of Phyllis and share her with audiences across the UK and Ireland for the first time."
James M. Cain’s thrillingly amoral masterpiece of murder, deceit, and desire is adapted for the stage by Tom Holloway and directed by Oscar Toeman, promising a razor-sharp, atmospheric reimagining of one of the most iconic crime stories ever written.
Double Indemnity brings together the glamour and danger of old Hollywood with the tension and allure of classic noir storytelling. A must-see event that will immerse audiences in a world of danger, desire and double-crossing hearts.
Tickets are on sale now from palacetheatresouthend.co.uk or by calling 0343 310 0030.
The story that inspired Billy Wilder’s legendary film noir masterpiece, is set in Los Angeles during the 1930s, amidst the wreckage of the Great Depression. Double Indemnity follows Walter Huff, a sharp-eyed insurance salesman who has built his career spotting scams. But when he meets the dangerously seductive Phyllis Nirdlinger (Barton) to discuss her husband’s life insurance policy, he is drawn into a web of lust, greed, and betrayal.
Together, they plot the perfect crime: murder the husband, cash in the policy, and vanish into the Californian sunset. But passion clouds judgment and guilt corrodes even the most perfect of plans. As their conspiracy unravels and mistrust festers, Walter and Phyllis find themselves battling not only the law, but each other.
Mischa Barton said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be returning to the stage and making my UK theatre debut in 'Double Indemnity'. This classic film noir favourite is a gripping tale of deceit, tension, and suspense and I cannot wait to step into the role of Phyllis and share her with audiences across the UK and Ireland for the first time."
James M. Cain’s thrillingly amoral masterpiece of murder, deceit, and desire is adapted for the stage by Tom Holloway and directed by Oscar Toeman, promising a razor-sharp, atmospheric reimagining of one of the most iconic crime stories ever written.
Double Indemnity brings together the glamour and danger of old Hollywood with the tension and allure of classic noir storytelling. A must-see event that will immerse audiences in a world of danger, desire and double-crossing hearts.
Tickets are on sale now from palacetheatresouthend.co.uk or by calling 0343 310 0030.
Interview
‘I think she’s got a soft spot for men in general and tends to get herself into quite a bit of trouble,’ says Hollywood star Mischa Barton with a laugh. She’s talking about her explosive new role as the ultimate femme fatale ready to hit the UK stage. ‘But at the end of the day, she knows what she’s doing and she’s not going to let any man take her down.’ How juicy!
Sitting at her family’s house in the Cotswolds with a cup of tea on the go, Mischa is talking about one of the most iconic movie roles of all time: Phyllis Nirdlinger, the seductress/murderess/man-eater from the timeless film noir, Double Indemnity. Thought of as perhaps THE classic film noir, with a screenplay by Raymond Chandler based on a novel by James M. Cain and multiple Oscar nominations into the bargain, Double Indemnity was directed by Some Like It Hot’s Billy Wilder with Phyllis unforgettably played by Barbara Stanwick. The character is arguably the baddest bad girl in movie history. Something Mischa can relate to? She laughs.
‘Well, I think she’s multi-faceted and I can relate to that,’ she says, taking another sip. ‘I think she’s got a lot of different sides to her and has strong opinions about not being tied down as a woman in a man’s world and that leads her to do all sorts of things… like murder.’ And she laughs again. ‘She really is ruthless when it comes to not simply being the pretty thing that sits on the couch.’
We might know Mischa more for her TV roles – she was literally one of the biggest stars of the 2000s when she was in The O.C. – while she has been in blockbuster films like The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill, both when she was a hard-working pre-teen actress as well as, more recently, Neighbours and a series of movies called Invitation to a Murder. But it is on stage where it all started in a series of critically acclaimed plays like Tony Kushner’s Slavs! and playing the lead at New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center in James Lapine’s Twelve Dreams, getting New York Times reviews calling her ‘chillingly authoritative’ at the grand old age of eight. So, this is no Hollywood movie star trying her luck at ‘real acting’.
And she’s worked with Hollywood royalty such as Christopher Plummer and Shirley MacLaine as well as with our own legendary Sir Richard Attenborough. ‘Richard really took me under his wing,’ she says of one of the most revered players in British film history. ‘He put me in RADA, had me round his house, had me close to his family. I think that was one of the most important things that happened to me in my 20s. He really saw that I needed that and that I was being put in a funny position in Hollywood and in the spotlight… and someone should come in and try and bring things down to some level of normalcy.’
Back to Double Indemnity and you wonder with such an iconic role whether she avoided the original book and the movie so as not to be influenced by them but that’s clearly not Mischa’s process. ‘Quite the opposite,’ she says in an accent that sounds American to Brits, but which apparently sounds very trans-Atlantic to Americans (well, she is part English having been born in Hammersmith in west London, something she loved talking about with her Notting Hill co-star Hugh Grant, who was born there too).
‘The first thing I did when they handed me Double Indemnity was go and watch the movie to remind myself what it’s like and watch Barbara Stanwyck’s performance,’ she says. ‘It’s got very little to do with what Oscar [Toeman, director and literary associate at The Old Vic] and I are going to try and achieve with Phyllis but it is an iconic role so it was definitely worth looking at the novel, the play, all of the material and then deciding which bits we’re going to concentrate on and what doesn’t really serve the purpose of the play now in 2026.’ There is currently a debate on whether the iconic ankle bracelet, which instantly tells us that Phyllis is a little on the trashy side, and whether they can translate that to the stage.
Dating back to the 1930s in the case of the book and the 1940s for the film, you wonder if the story feels dated in any way but not according to Mischa, who thinks that there’s a feel about it that’s very much now, especially in the new adaptation by award-winning writer Tom Holloway. ‘Double Indemnity is one of those cornerstones of film noir,’ she says. ‘It takes place in Los Angeles after the Great Depression and, because there’s this air of desperation in all of these characters in as far as what they’re going to do and why they’re going to do it, you could relate it to now. We’re going through an interesting time in the world, and I think it translates well.’
As for touring the UK, Mischa is looking forward to it. ‘I’ve done it before,’ she says. ‘My whole life is living out of a suitcase, so it’s not going to be a shock to the system. But it is going to be interesting because some of the places I’ve never been to.’ Plus, she’s not one to just sit at home, waiting for roles to come to her, even the more interesting roles she’s being offered now.
‘A lot of the roles that are interesting and resonating with people are for women in their 40s and 50s… 70s even,’ says the former teen star. ‘That whole thing of you have to be 19 is less the case these days, which is really good because I think people like to see themselves reflected in the characters that they watch.’
Looking back on that career-making role as Marissa Cooper in The O.C., Mischa says it feels like a different person altogether. ‘I think I went through a small phase of being mildly annoyed by the attention The O.C. always gets and now that’s completely gone because I look back fondly on it now. It was a great time, we had a lot of fun, and it was a really iconic time for better or worse.’
The fact that she was getting perhaps the most attention of anyone on TV outside of Friends was, she thinks, partly her fault. ‘I’m a very private person, I have always been that way,’ she says. ‘And I think that led to an even greater fascination… the fact that you don’t want it. There are so many people out there literally begging for fame and attention, and so what I found was that the more you resist, the more you’re going to get it.’
Because, ultimately, The O.C. was ground-breaking, leading to a bunch of similar shows like Gossip Girl and eventually to reality TV franchises like Real Housewives. ‘It did open up a whole world of peeking into rich people’s lives and glossy places,’ she says. ‘It’s like people just want to see into these lives, these pockets of California that people don’t feel they understand or can get close to.’
Her stint in Neighbours, meanwhile, was perhaps the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, mainly for the ridiculous workload. ‘They had written that role for me and they were really sweet people,’ she says of the offer, which she originally passed on but which they kept on making. ‘And I literally just thought to myself, “OK, they’ve written you a role again and you can go and live in Australia and see what that’s like…” But it’s bloody hard work, like television gymnastics, it’s not a normal…’
But for the time being, thanks to Double Indemnity and Phyllis, she gets to enjoy the life of an independent British woman, instead of landing on her sister’s doorstep for a couple of weeks then staying months. ‘I’m a big tea drinker,’ she says to reaffirm her British credentials, which also run to always have some Roundtree’s Fruit Pastels in her bag. ‘In New York everyone has their coffee and I’m the one getting tea.’ She takes a sip, then comes back with, ‘I get really annoyed when Americans slander British food. It gets on my nerves.’
So, for the foreseeable future it will be tea-drinking, Fruit-Pastel-guzzling, British-cuisine-defending lady by day, American femme fatale with a taste for murder by night. Lucky old Ciarán Owens who plays insurance salesman turned bad Walter Huff opposite her. ‘It is very intimate,’ says Mischa of being thrown together with the Small Axe/Last Kingdom star in a passionate play like this. ‘They’re in love almost from the second they meet and have this thing for each other. It’s a magnetic duo, they kiss every night on stage, she slaps him, they have this very heated energy to them.’ And she laughs. ‘Poor Ciarán,’ she goes. ‘I’m not sure if he’s ready to get slapped every night. But we’ll see.’
Interview - Simon Gage
Sitting at her family’s house in the Cotswolds with a cup of tea on the go, Mischa is talking about one of the most iconic movie roles of all time: Phyllis Nirdlinger, the seductress/murderess/man-eater from the timeless film noir, Double Indemnity. Thought of as perhaps THE classic film noir, with a screenplay by Raymond Chandler based on a novel by James M. Cain and multiple Oscar nominations into the bargain, Double Indemnity was directed by Some Like It Hot’s Billy Wilder with Phyllis unforgettably played by Barbara Stanwick. The character is arguably the baddest bad girl in movie history. Something Mischa can relate to? She laughs.
‘Well, I think she’s multi-faceted and I can relate to that,’ she says, taking another sip. ‘I think she’s got a lot of different sides to her and has strong opinions about not being tied down as a woman in a man’s world and that leads her to do all sorts of things… like murder.’ And she laughs again. ‘She really is ruthless when it comes to not simply being the pretty thing that sits on the couch.’
We might know Mischa more for her TV roles – she was literally one of the biggest stars of the 2000s when she was in The O.C. – while she has been in blockbuster films like The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill, both when she was a hard-working pre-teen actress as well as, more recently, Neighbours and a series of movies called Invitation to a Murder. But it is on stage where it all started in a series of critically acclaimed plays like Tony Kushner’s Slavs! and playing the lead at New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center in James Lapine’s Twelve Dreams, getting New York Times reviews calling her ‘chillingly authoritative’ at the grand old age of eight. So, this is no Hollywood movie star trying her luck at ‘real acting’.
And she’s worked with Hollywood royalty such as Christopher Plummer and Shirley MacLaine as well as with our own legendary Sir Richard Attenborough. ‘Richard really took me under his wing,’ she says of one of the most revered players in British film history. ‘He put me in RADA, had me round his house, had me close to his family. I think that was one of the most important things that happened to me in my 20s. He really saw that I needed that and that I was being put in a funny position in Hollywood and in the spotlight… and someone should come in and try and bring things down to some level of normalcy.’
Back to Double Indemnity and you wonder with such an iconic role whether she avoided the original book and the movie so as not to be influenced by them but that’s clearly not Mischa’s process. ‘Quite the opposite,’ she says in an accent that sounds American to Brits, but which apparently sounds very trans-Atlantic to Americans (well, she is part English having been born in Hammersmith in west London, something she loved talking about with her Notting Hill co-star Hugh Grant, who was born there too).
‘The first thing I did when they handed me Double Indemnity was go and watch the movie to remind myself what it’s like and watch Barbara Stanwyck’s performance,’ she says. ‘It’s got very little to do with what Oscar [Toeman, director and literary associate at The Old Vic] and I are going to try and achieve with Phyllis but it is an iconic role so it was definitely worth looking at the novel, the play, all of the material and then deciding which bits we’re going to concentrate on and what doesn’t really serve the purpose of the play now in 2026.’ There is currently a debate on whether the iconic ankle bracelet, which instantly tells us that Phyllis is a little on the trashy side, and whether they can translate that to the stage.
Dating back to the 1930s in the case of the book and the 1940s for the film, you wonder if the story feels dated in any way but not according to Mischa, who thinks that there’s a feel about it that’s very much now, especially in the new adaptation by award-winning writer Tom Holloway. ‘Double Indemnity is one of those cornerstones of film noir,’ she says. ‘It takes place in Los Angeles after the Great Depression and, because there’s this air of desperation in all of these characters in as far as what they’re going to do and why they’re going to do it, you could relate it to now. We’re going through an interesting time in the world, and I think it translates well.’
As for touring the UK, Mischa is looking forward to it. ‘I’ve done it before,’ she says. ‘My whole life is living out of a suitcase, so it’s not going to be a shock to the system. But it is going to be interesting because some of the places I’ve never been to.’ Plus, she’s not one to just sit at home, waiting for roles to come to her, even the more interesting roles she’s being offered now.
‘A lot of the roles that are interesting and resonating with people are for women in their 40s and 50s… 70s even,’ says the former teen star. ‘That whole thing of you have to be 19 is less the case these days, which is really good because I think people like to see themselves reflected in the characters that they watch.’
Looking back on that career-making role as Marissa Cooper in The O.C., Mischa says it feels like a different person altogether. ‘I think I went through a small phase of being mildly annoyed by the attention The O.C. always gets and now that’s completely gone because I look back fondly on it now. It was a great time, we had a lot of fun, and it was a really iconic time for better or worse.’
The fact that she was getting perhaps the most attention of anyone on TV outside of Friends was, she thinks, partly her fault. ‘I’m a very private person, I have always been that way,’ she says. ‘And I think that led to an even greater fascination… the fact that you don’t want it. There are so many people out there literally begging for fame and attention, and so what I found was that the more you resist, the more you’re going to get it.’
Because, ultimately, The O.C. was ground-breaking, leading to a bunch of similar shows like Gossip Girl and eventually to reality TV franchises like Real Housewives. ‘It did open up a whole world of peeking into rich people’s lives and glossy places,’ she says. ‘It’s like people just want to see into these lives, these pockets of California that people don’t feel they understand or can get close to.’
Her stint in Neighbours, meanwhile, was perhaps the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, mainly for the ridiculous workload. ‘They had written that role for me and they were really sweet people,’ she says of the offer, which she originally passed on but which they kept on making. ‘And I literally just thought to myself, “OK, they’ve written you a role again and you can go and live in Australia and see what that’s like…” But it’s bloody hard work, like television gymnastics, it’s not a normal…’
But for the time being, thanks to Double Indemnity and Phyllis, she gets to enjoy the life of an independent British woman, instead of landing on her sister’s doorstep for a couple of weeks then staying months. ‘I’m a big tea drinker,’ she says to reaffirm her British credentials, which also run to always have some Roundtree’s Fruit Pastels in her bag. ‘In New York everyone has their coffee and I’m the one getting tea.’ She takes a sip, then comes back with, ‘I get really annoyed when Americans slander British food. It gets on my nerves.’
So, for the foreseeable future it will be tea-drinking, Fruit-Pastel-guzzling, British-cuisine-defending lady by day, American femme fatale with a taste for murder by night. Lucky old Ciarán Owens who plays insurance salesman turned bad Walter Huff opposite her. ‘It is very intimate,’ says Mischa of being thrown together with the Small Axe/Last Kingdom star in a passionate play like this. ‘They’re in love almost from the second they meet and have this thing for each other. It’s a magnetic duo, they kiss every night on stage, she slaps him, they have this very heated energy to them.’ And she laughs. ‘Poor Ciarán,’ she goes. ‘I’m not sure if he’s ready to get slapped every night. But we’ll see.’
Interview - Simon Gage