Sewell Barn Theatre, Norwich

Dangerous Corner

Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 17th July 2010

“What a cosy little group we are…” is how we meet the close-knit, smug circle in the 1930s drawing room who are about to undergo a dissecting exercise of their lives.

It’s J B Priestley’s first “time” play. If radio music had come on as intended earlier, then the characters would not have found that a cigarette-box opened up like a mini-Pandora’s Box, a sequence of memories, lies and betrayals. It’s a device much copied on film and stage since.

This is the final offering of the season by the accomplished Sewell Barn company, directed perfectly by Nigel Coates in the tight, intimate space. A cracking cast maintain pace, accents and sense of period, bringing the piece alive, although real smoking, while understandable for those times, was unnecessary.

Susie Richardson as the perceptive, slightly weary lady of the house and Paul Goldsmith as her naive husband are perfect foils; Luke Owen and Ayse Elibol are the couple with more secrets than are sensible; Nadine Kaissi is superb as the key to the shooting that occurred years ago.

Ian Shepherd and Sharon Woodcock are excellent, finding the absolutely right level of appropriate humour. Indeed, praise for the way the whole cast’s gift of slight self-parody, earnest sincerity and treacherous undertones cannot be stated too highly.