This offering is a delightful Christmas romp with tinges of Bertie and Wooster repartee, with an added titled lady for extra fun. In line with the stock comic characters, we are introduced to a hard-done-by dock worker, a conscientious overworked family doctor, and a humiliated wife of an aristocratic gambler. Set in the 1930s, with a variety of suitcases managed about the stage, their travel is constant with a rush against time. All of them have financial troubles, but greet the ominous delivery of a letter by a tall man in a sinister black hat and cloak with the hesitation it deserves – this is an invitation to each of them to ‘tell no-one’ and ‘travel alone’ to Cornwall for the reading of the will of an unknown Mr Montague. With the clock ticking, they must all arrive with their invitation, on time and at the appointed place if they have a chance of inheriting anything. The challenges start when they have to jump from the train after being snowbound, and have to find ways to get to their destination.
The play is essentially a mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, but played for laughs with freeze-frame moments as one character talks aside to the audience about their suspicions and the others fix position as if in a film still. The three are pulled together as they take the train from London to Penzance in this mystery adventure, sharing the plight of their current lives as they go.
The cast is splendid, not only playing their parts with panache, but also grappling with a handful of other walk-on characters. Adam Elliott is perfectly played as the spruced up Doctor (and very funny as a drunk and a train guard), James McDonald manages his weary persona with glee and Julia Pagett plays it up as the snobbish Lady Cunningham. The places constantly change, indicated by a handful of moving props deftly manoeuvred by the cast. This, together with the fast-paced action and witty dialogue, keeps up a great momentum to the plot. Kate Bannister and Karl Swinyard deserve applause for their direction and set design. This is the perfect light-hearted drama for the festive period and a fun night out.
Cast: Adam Elliott, Tice Oakfield, Julia Pagett
Written by Luke Adamson
Set Design: Karl Swinyard
Directed by Kate Bannister
Brockley Jack Studio Theatre
Tuesday 10 Dec 2024 – Saturday 4 Jan 2025 at 7.30 pm
Running time: 90 minutes, with no interval