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The third night of Newry Drama Festival saw a performance by Holywood Players of Death Trap. The play by IRA Levin is the longest running comedy thriller in Broadway history, and the Holywood Players production drew considerable praise from adjudicator Tony Finnegan, who commended it across every aspect of the staging.
Finnegan opened his adjudication by outlining the particular challenges the play presents. Balancing comedy and suspense, he explained, is central to any successful production, with the comedy needing to avoid tipping into pantomime and the suspense never becoming farcical. The single set constraint, the meta-theatrical nature of the piece, and the requirement for convincing onstage fighting and blood effects all add to the demands placed on any company taking it on. In this case, he felt, every box had been ticked in the production.
Set design, carried out by Vanessa Shelton, drew immediate praise. Finnegan said his first words on seeing the set were "stunning set", and he noted that the attention to detail throughout was impressive. Shelton also took on the dual role of stage manager, a responsibility Finnegan said she carried out perfectly.
Lighting and sound, handled by Stephen Miller, were equally well received. The pre-set, which saw items of torture highlighted as the audience came in, alongside an actor sitting reading, was described as creating a very effective atmosphere before the play began. The timing of lighting cues, including a power failure sequence, was singled out for praise, as were the sound choices - from the pre-set music to the sound effects of doors and footsteps. The storm scene in particular was described as impeccable. Finnegan did note that costume and make-up, while all good, had not been credited in the programme and that this needed to be addressed.
Turning to the cast, Finnegan praised Sidney (Steve Emerson) for his physicality, facial expressions and well-judged pauses. Myra (Caroline Forsythe), delivered what he described as a really nice performance, with excellent off-line acting and vocal reactions that showed a growing neurosis as the scene progressed.Clifford (Sam Bowman), brought strong energy to his entrance and good physical presence, with Finnegan noting that his height was a bonus and that he was very well cast. His pretend death and the passion and anger directed at Sidney were both highlighted as standout moments.
Helga (Jackie Adair), was praised for a performance that was, in Finnegan's words, weird and wacky but never caricature. He felt she understood the dialogue completely, with her rhythm, tone and intonation strong throughout. David, as Porter, was noted for looking right from the very beginning, with his noticing of Clifford hiding the script described as well done and well directed.
Director Anna Phipps received considerable praise for her work throughout, with Finnegan highlighting good references to the French doors, strong positioning, physicality and angling, and a particularly well-executed strangulation scene. He also noted that she had shown a symbiotic relationship with the crew and stage management, and that her casting of the show had been excellent.
The Newry Drama Festival continues till Saturday.
The Plays
- Thursday 26 March: Heaven - Balally Players
- Friday 27 March: Hansard - Rosemary Drama Group
- Saturday 28 March: Da - Bunclody/ Kilmyshall
