Theatre and Dance Reviews

The programme warns that "For the enjoyment of future audiences, please do not reveal the plot of this play to others".... As if I would!

"Deadlock" is a very funny but very dark thriller and it really keeps the audience on the edge of its seats even though the script by Peter Benedict is quite wordy. The action is set in just the one location, the basement studio of M.P. Robert Marlowe. Here he indulges his penchant for sculpture and rent boys. He has a large oven for his work ominously built by the German company that designed crematoria for use in the Holocaust. The oven of course and what or who goes in it is central to the plot. It's all about deception and counter deception with a Mikado inspired theme… "let the punishment fit the crime."

This is a cast of just four. Simon Ward is excellent as Robert Marlowe and once he realises he has been duped, gives a merciless performance matched by the ascerbic eloquence of the educated man. Ward brings all his experience to bear on an essentially evil character, yet has the audience eating out of his hand. Disappointingly the lovely Karen Drury, formally of the Brookside parish was not playing the part of Marlowe's wife Isobel. No announcement was made, but understudy Deidra Whelan was good, although to be fair, this is not a big part. I would liked to have seen more of Isobel and the affair with Marlowe's P.A. Mark Dalton. Also more could be made of the open marriage consumated only once.

"My wife has had more members between her legs that my party have in Parliament," quips Marlowe. 

Former Eastender Richard Driscoll is a little one paced in my opinion and fails to bring much subtlety or depth to his character as Mark Dalton.Yet is is Dalton who is the puppetmaster pulling the strings for much of the play. However young Ashley George is strong as the "rent boy" character Brett.

To say much more would start to give away the plot. There are some clever running references: theatre jokes about preposterous plots, Gilbert and Sullivan of course and Marlowe's inability to work his mobile phone which struck a chord with your reviewer.

With a final sting in the tail, this is a well written example of a difficult genre which is more than adequately performed.

A satisfying evening out.