The Black Veil

My friends and loyal readers will recall that I had a review published in a local newspaper back in February (see <Busybody>  for a reminder) for a play I'd seen at Worthing's Connaught Theatre. At the time I told you that I'd keep you in the loop for any future published articles.

The Black Veil should have been a further triumph but due to a cruel twist of fate, the paper I approached was already out of space and subsequently the article went nowhere. 

Not wanting to let my experience or hard work go to waste, here is my review for your delectation:

A  night  of  chills  and  revelations  was  enjoyed  at  the  Connaught  Theatre  during  the  premiere  of  John  Goodrum's  The  Black  Veil. 

Adapted  from  a  short  story  by  Charles  Dickens,  the  play  opens  in  the  19th  century  home  of  a  bumbling  young  doctor  (Nick  Murphy). He  opens  his  door  to  an   unannounced  late  night  visitor  in  the  form  of  an  elderly  lady  (Jen  Holt)  who  is  shrouded  in  mystery  and  a  black  veil.  The  lady  requests  the  doctor's  assistance  in  the  case  of  her  grandson.  She  remains  tight  lipped  about  his  condition  and  despite  the  doctor  insisting  that  he  should  visit  the  patient  that  evening,  she  doesn't  allow  him  to  assess  the  situation  until  the  following  morning.  The  doctor  complies  with  what's  been  asked  of  him  and  arrives  to  find  the  lady  has  not  told  him  the  full  truth.  The  doctor  is  then  enlisted  to  help  with  the  woman's  sinister  plans  and  revelations  abound  as  the  mystery  begins  to  unravel.  

The  Black  Veil  put  a  sparse  set  and  an  eerie  mix  of  sounds  and  music  to  good  effect  and  the  cast  made  a  shining  debut  in  the  first  night  of  the  play.  Jen  Holt  in  particular  held  my  attention,  despite  being  hidden  under  a  heavy  veil  for  most  of  the  performance,   while  the  audience  in  the  packed  theatre  seemed  as  unsettled  as  I  was  with  the  introduction  of  imposing  villain,  Luke  (Nick  Barclay).  The  play  also  had  unexpected  moments  of  comedy  which  cleverly  lightened  the  more  tense  scenes.

There you have it. I hope you enjoyed the review and should you find that The Black Veil is showing anywhere near you, I hope you will venture to the theatre to see it.