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‘DELIVERANCE’ MEETS MONSTER OF THE BLACK MARSHES
IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT was written by American Playwright the prolific Tim Kelly in 1988.
His play won the prestigious Pickering award for play-writing excellence.
The pre-show entertainment treated the audience to a bonus performance from the Penrith Gaels Maher School of Irish Dance – very enjoyable modern step dances by younger members and some popular Irish jigs by the entire ensemble.
Ruby Productions have electrified their audience with the startling Anthony Brown as Ebenezer Saltmarsh with his array of balmy frolics. For instance his bizarre interviewing of 3 nurse applicants and his apparent murderous ‘distilling’ and ‘revenge’ despatch of them. It is noted that Ebenezer consumes gallons of ‘Galway Pipe’ crude home brew that he distills in his sordid cellar.
Beverley Mooney was outstanding and enthralled with her hilarious and eccentric capers as ‘Olive’ Saltmarsh’s beyond lost sheep housekeeper!
Hannah Robertson played a versatile Belle Malibu in gauche sequins and gave a seamless performance under the dubious protection of a suspect under-cover cop!
Cousins Arabella played by Christine Snell and Hepzibah Saltmarsh by Cristina Barbara at their debut in the opening scene appear almost plausible – wearing their prim and proper buns with cameo brooch, Edwardian skirts and mutton chop blouse sleeves and teetering on their maiden’s court shoes. However, we soon elicit whilst they summon the spirit of their General Saltmarsh ancestor for advice plus some other quirks that they are both madder than a March Hatter! Ironically, later in the play Hepzibah declares a bevy of crack-pot characters as being ‘all as crazy as bed-bugs.’
A glance at the literary roots of this play may suggest Kelly’s ominous Gothic horror tale of the Saltmarsh family and ghost General Saltmarsh – summoned by Cousins Arabella and Hepzibah Saltmarsh, may have tinges of influences of Edgar Allen Poe. Emerging from the script and action of this performance there appears a Poe sub-genre of dark romanticism, and with the eerie coincidence that Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts early in the 18th century and DARK AND STORMY NIGHT is set in an isolated house near the marshes of North Shore Massachusetts. In more contemporary terms, Kelly’s play is also referred to as dark purple prose.
Yet another peculiar character of this play Uncle Silas is superbly played by Ruby stalwart ‘ Glen Levett. Uncle Silas sceptically declares the telephone whispering wires.’ Uncle Silas with his flowing long grey locks and sumptuous beard wheels in a skeleton in a wheel-chair covered by a bridal veil and exactly why is the third nurse’s nickname ‘Effi.?’ Sal the subtly supercilious and zealously suspicious representative of Lady Cincinatti’s Beauty Products is doing a lot more than giving away free beauty samples. Ann Attwood’s set design created the spooky/spoofy atmosphere for a dark and stormy night – including a skull on a side table next to a grimy keg (probably belonging to Ebenezer). The pair of war hammers above the mantle was a macabre touch hinting at the real goings-on at ‘Ye-Olde Wayside Inn.’
Ruby Productions’ production of Tim Kelly’s IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT played the John Lees Centre, Penrith on Saturday 14 May 7.00 – 9 pm and is playing on Saturday 21 May 2 – 4pm and Saturday 21 May 7.00 – 9 pm.