ACT Reviews 2022-2023 Season

LORD ARTHUR SAVILE’S CRIME by Constance Cox (Adapted from a short story by Oscar Wilde) Directed by Barbara Harris Altrincham Little Theatre I was invited by the director, via the programme, to forget the world outside the theatre and enjoy the theatrical experience and laugh, and that is exactly what I did along with the other audience members. I had heard of this Oscar Wilde story previously but had not realised that it had become a play. Wilde was renowned for his wit that poked fun at the aristocracy and in the central character this was quite evident. Lord Arthur is about to marry his fiancée, Sybil but her mother, Lady Julia Merton, has doubts about the entire match. She hires a fortune teller (a Chiromantist) who will tell her all she needs to know about Arthur’s past, present and future. His doting Aunts and Uncle are not at all pleased with Lady Julia and let it be known. Through it all Baines, Lord Arthur’s trusted butler, is on hand to help his Lordship carry out his every wish – including murder! A lot of the plot, planning, and dialogue centres around Arthur (Mark Dawson) and his trusted man servant Baines (David Reynolds). There was a great rapport between these two actors that brought to mind the Jeeves and Wooster style of double act. Mark Dawson played his character beautifully, entitled but dim. It made the audience laugh at how gullible he was, to be taken in by a charlatan and then hatch a despicable string of events that were hilariously doomed from the start. Mark was at ease with his dialogue delivery being over the top and quite essentially clipped. His expressions were hilarious and conveyed so much.

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