For a play written in 1938, Gaslight feels
refreshingly relevant and powerful with its key themes resonating hard. A busy
audience are drawn into the world of Bella and cruel mental abuse inflicted (or
not) on her by imposing husband Jack Manningham.
All the action takes place in the
claustrophobic and moodily lit drawing room in the Manningham house complete
with secret bookcases and ornaments galore. The set was rich and luxurious and
was the perfect setting for this tense and atmospheric play. Music is used
sparingly but effectively to ramp up the suspense while never taking focus from
the story and performances of a small but strong cast.
Kara Tointon gives an assured performance
as the protagonist Bella, giving us a performance that you don’t quite know
where it will go next. One moment Bella is powerless to her husband’s
manipulation, the next she discovers fire in her belly; we live her struggle
through this empowering performance.
Rupert Young does a sterling job as
villainous charmer Jack oozing charisma and malevolence in equal measure. Jack
keeps the audience on the edge of their seats with the character seeming
genuinely erratic and unpredictable. He’s a man who will seemingly stop at
nothing to get what he wants and this makes for fantastic viewing.
The real star of this show is Keith Allen
as Rough a visitor who turns life upside down for the Manningham’s. Bringing a
flash of comedy at times, Allen lights up the stage and a generally dark tale
without taking focus or dismissing the plays serious message. His energy
injects pace into a slow start and drives the story to a climatic finale!
This was a tight and suspenseful production
led by a strong principle cast and complimented by a talented supporting
company. While this may lack the punch of An Inspector Calls (the two are very
similar in tone and style), Gaslight is a classy and stylish play with a hard
hitting and emotive story. Considering the changes to Domestic Abuse laws in
2015, we should be seeing this for many years to come.
Review by Andy Edmeads
Rating: ★★★★
