Middle Ground Theatre Co Ltd presents
The Business of Murder

The Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
Mon 9th March - Saturday 14 March 2015

I can remember doing a play once which had a television as part of the set.  We spent ages deciding how we were going to have the tv on stage without it upstaging the actors and not having it get in the way of the audience’s view of the actors on stage.  We decided that we definitely couldn’t just put it on the floor, without a stand, that wouldn’t look realistic at all. So one of the first things that struck me about this set was seeing a tv on the floor; and then a shelving cabinet so high that even a 7 foot high basketball player wouldn’t have been able to reach up to dust the top. The bedroom to the left had a mirror in it, of which were reflected roughly eight or so members of the audience. Slightly distracting.  These things shouldn't really matter I suppose; I just found it rather bemusing.  Anyway, I have completely digressed. I apologise.

The action of the play is set within a first floor London flat. It is 1981 and the flat’s decor (despite the above observations) has an excellent seventies feel to it, from the wallpaper right down to the wall clock and kitchen appliances. The music chosen to begin the play, has a wonderful seventies detective series vibe to it and leads us nicely into the performance.

The flat belongs to Stone, played by a bespectacled, cardi-wearing, Robert Gwilym.  He has invited Hallett a slightly arrogant, cigar smoking copper, played by former Emmerdale star Paul Opacic, to his flat on the premise that he wants him to talk to his son, Clive, whom he believes has become involved in drugs.  Clive, however, is not at home.  

Soon after Hallett leaves, playwright Dee, played by Shameless actress Joanna Higson, enters the scene and is seemingly swept away by another ruse by Stone who creepily seems to know more about her than she realises.  She is there to meet Stone’s wife, a supposed amateur playwright. I rather enjoyed the coincidence of Tales of the Unexpected playing on the (standless) television as Dee is invited into the flat.

The whole of the first act, which at times lacks a little in pace, builds up to an exciting yet mystifying conclusion with the audience left instantly wanting to know more.  During the interval, it was quite amusing listening to various members of the audience trying to work out where the plot was going.  One gentlemen was telling his wife exactly how he thought it was going to turn out.  This is definitely the play to see if you fancy yourself as a bit of a detective.

From the moment Act 2 begins, we are gripped as the truth begins to unravel and the real meaning of the word ‘thriller’ is injected into the piece.  All three actors gave wonderfully believable performances but for me, Robert Gwilym, who is probably best known for his role as Dr Max Gallagher in Casualty, was the star of the show.  His multi-faceted character was a masterclass to watch and I felt a whole mixture of empathy, fear, disgust and compassion towards his character during this fabulous performance. 

To tell you any more about the play would be giving too much away but let’s just say that I haven’t been to the theatre for quite some time where the audience were so quiet and literally on the edge of their seats towards the end.

For anyone who enjoys a good thriller and likes to collect clues along the way, this is the play for you. Love, betrayal, revenge, blood, murder and intrigue - what more could you need!

What the audience thought

Diana and Graham Palmer, Westcliff

Diana says, “It was a bit of a slow burner towards the end of Act 1 but I suppose it was just setting the scene.”  “I thought Robert Gwilym was excellent!”
Graham says, “I found it intensely boring, almost as boring as a Party Political Broadcast.”   “I thought it was too contrived.”