The Games Afoot

The Game’s Afoot

Review of HADIT’s performance on Friday 12 May 2023

More murder, more mystery, more suspense from HADIT’s latest production, The Game’s Afoot, a farcical whodunnit set in the 1930s with more twists and turns than a Charleston dance off.

The play opens with the attempted murder of William Gillette as he takes a bow after playing Sherlock Holmes in a fiendish Conan Doyle mystery. Gillette survives and hosts a party for the cast of the play at his Connecticut mansion. A whodunnit within a whodunnit with plenty of false leads, crazy theories, accusations, misrepresentations, falsifications and outright lies, brewing up a potent cocktail of deception, shaken up and mixed with past indiscretions, dubious alibis and greedy motives … with a little contact with the dead and not so dead stirred in for good measure.

It's Christmas Eve and all are gathered for some yuletide fun, joined by Gillette’s mother, Martha, played with class and panache by Jane Bramwell. The fly in the festive ointment comes in the guise of Daria Chase, a sassy, no holds barred critic with a razor-sharp tongue that’s capable of bringing anyone to their knees and a sexual score card that would make Mae West blush. The vicious verbal assaults and previous infidelities give everyone a motive to ‘take care of her’. When she turns up with a knife in her back, suspects are plentiful. There follows a masterclass in dead body disposal, cock up and cover up, deflection and deception, confusion and delusion … all classic ingredients for a farcical whodunnit. When the inspector calls, all theories are explored, everyone accused then pardoned until eventually the culprit is finally cuffed, in true Holmes style.

Another well directed, fast moving fun packed production from the HADIT stable. The otherworldly séance was something to behold and for lovers of ‘Bill the Quill’ the Shakespearean tit for tat infusing the play gave vignettes of unexpected gravitas. The play raises issues of what’s a game, what’s real? What’s true and what’s fake? Life imitating art and vice versa.

All the cast did an excellent job, with just an occasional ‘theatrical pause’ easily kick-started with a whisper from the wings. Not surprising with such complex and fast-moving dialogue and all, no doubt, to build the suspense. The mid-Atlantic accents were good, if a little tidal.

Tim Smallwood was ever sharp as Gillette and worked very well as a sparring partner for Nick Williams who played the smart if not somewhat self-important Felix. Philomena Washington excelled herself at the séance as Madge and gave as good as she got throughout with her brainy, Bardy banter. Leanne Bradwell played an ambiguous Aggie Wheeler, the widowed millionairess, stalked throughout by dear Gillette. She kept everyone guessing as the aloof, good girl/bad girl newlywed. Cheryl Mulvey was steady and level-headed as the Inspector, a frustrated thespian herself who needed to stay calm and focused amid the chaos if she was going to land her catch.

Special praise goes to Brent Storey who played the dashing, morally challenged Simon Bright. He maintained his suave persona throughout and was very believable as the 30’s ‘innocent’ (?), lovable cad. And finally, to Daria Chase, fabulously played by Jo Elliot. A villainess of the highest calibre who proved to be much more trouble dead than alive.

Costumes were authentic and stylish, set, props and make-up likewise. Light and sound were ‘cracking’… literally. The youngsters on the desk were excellent and particularly enthusiastic.

Well done everyone for another great performance.

Tony Evans