Theatre Review: Rehearsal For Murder (UK Tour)

Rehearsal For Murder review: The writing team of Richard Levinson and William Link bring murder and mystery to Woking’s New Victoria Theatre.

Rehearsal For Murder review by Katey Thompson, September 2016.

Alex Ferns plays Alex Dennison, a writer who returns a year to the day to the theatre where a tragedy occurs during the opening night of his play. Alex’s leading lady and also his fiancée Monica Wells, (ably played by Susie Amy) dies unexpectedly after the opening night party, and the police have to determine whether her death is suicide or not…

The play uses familiar techniques to create suspense and intrigue along with a huge number of red herrings. Bella Lamb (Anita Harris) is the glamorous producer who is bank-rolling the production. There is the obligatory starlet Karen Daniels (Sophie Powel) who is in Monica Welles’ shadow. As to whodunnit? Well, of course you will need to see the play, as you are left guessing continuously due to some clever twists throughout. The production’s use of flash backs are brilliant at creating suspense and adding to the overall intrigue.

The play is largely set at the theatre and at the confines of Monica Welles’ flat. Scene changes were fluidly executed by the throwing off of a dust sheet to reveal a sitting room, or perhaps a dressing room. The sound effects greatly added to the atmosphere but on occasion drowned out the dialogue. The lighting effects, a la The Woman in Black were cleverly used to herald the entrance of a ghostly Monica Welles during the constant flash-backs.

The cast is made up of actors and actresses that you will recognise from television soaps (Emmerdale, Eastenders, Holby City) and theatre, all very well matched to their roles. They put in a good performances, although some of their clarity of dialogue is sadly lost as some of the quieter scenes did not project as well as they could have. I was also left wanting a bit more from Ferns – probably perhaps because his character did not quite have the psychotic depth of his most famous role – the iconic, infamous Trevor in Eastenders. 

This play is a gentle murder mystery and perhaps a bit formulaic at times, but it is a pleasing evening’s entertainment to be recommended to everyone who enjoys this genre of theatre.

Rehearsal for Murder is running at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking until 1st October, 2016.