Saturday 11 April 2015

Theatre: The Secret Adversary.....





A Tommy and Tuppence Thriller
Presented by The Watermill Theatre
Adapted from the Agatha Christie novel for the stage
by Sarah Punshon & Johann Hari.
Agatha Christie's gripping thriller follows the daring and dizzying adventures of Tommy & Tuppence through 1920s London.
Home from the War, flat-broke and unemployed, our twenty-something heroes embark on a daring business scheme: ‘The Young Adventurers Limited’… willing to go anywhere, willing to do anything. But their first assignment plunges them into more danger than they ever imagined and they quickly find themselves sucked into a perilous world of political intrigue, criminal conspiracy, murder and mayhem.
Launching as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of the author’s birth, The Secret Adversary takes to the stage for the very first time in this inventive new adaptation shot through with fast-paced action, comedy, live music and a dash of romance.



Not totally sure about this one, I certainly didn't dislike it as there were some very good bits like the clever use of the stage with minimal scene changes created by hanging a cloth or rolling out a carpet etc. Lots of fast paced activity and a comedy script that had my friends laughing out loud in places.....unfortunately not me, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it. I found the intrigue and drama of this Agatha Christie play totally watered down by the song and dance bits and magic tricks. Thriller adapted with comedy and farce I usually find very entertaining, however thriller and music hall together? What do you think?
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2 comments:

Michelle said...

Sounds as though they were trying to be all things to all people. I can't imagine the darkness of the story being enhanced by a song and dance routine though. Unless an opera perhaps.

MumB / @mumbosh said...

Had lots of good reviews and my friends loved it....but I didn't get it.