UK Theatre Network

Write Me A Murder

Reviewed at Darlington Civic Theatre

Two contrasting brothers return to the home of their childhood, Rodingham Manor, to attend their father’s deathbed.

Clive (Paul Opacic), the eldest, is in line to inherit everything – the title of Lord Rodingham and the vast estate made up of the manor, farms and even the local village. With little regard for tradition, he intends to sell the lot to Charles Sturrock (Leslie Grantham), a self-made property developer and former delivery boy for the village grocer.

Younger brother David (Christopher Villiers), a crime writer, values his heritage and wants things to stay the way they are.

Despite being admonished by the formidable family physician, Dr Elizabeth Woolley (Helen Weir), the siblings continue to bicker and snipe, neither of them showing much concern for their frail old father.

Events take a turn when David is asked by Sturrock to coach his wife, Julie (Maxine Gregory), an aspiring novelist, with a view to helping her become published. During their time together, David and Julie become close and the plot that forms the centre of their work of fiction looks set to become a hard and cold fact. Perhaps they have discovered how to perpetrate the perfect murder.

Although the piece itself is fine, several things marred my enjoyment of this production. Firstly, since the demise of ‘Dirty Den’, Leslie Grantham seems to have become something of a one-trick pony, acting-wise, and has entrenched himself in playing spivs, crooks or craggy cockney detectives. He sneers and snarls his way, unconvincingly, through his performance. Secondly, Paul Opacic and Christopher Villiers appear to have been cast the wrong way round – as Villiers is Opacic’s senior by twenty-two years surely it would have made more sense for him to play the older brother. Thirdly, after a long hot day, the auditorium was uncomfortably warm, which made it difficult to concentrate fully on the play.

It’s a shame that these obstacles got in the way of what could have been a much better production. On the other hand, though, there were some factors that are worthy of particular mention: David North’s set is, as usual, a visual treat and Maxine Gregory’s performance was a sheer delight.

Steve Burbridge.

‘Write Me A Murder’ runs at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday 27^th June 2009, before touring to Cambridge, Wolverhampton, Colchester, Cheltenham, Swansea and Worthing.