Review

The Eastern Suburbs Spectator

Friday July 13, 2007

Agatha Christie's "The Hollow"
at Genesian Theatre

This is one of the few plays Agatha Christie actually wrote and it shows. Her whole approach is gentility. The country home of Sir Henry and Lady Angkatell with its gracious furniture and attentive servants is the venue for a weekend house party - and a murder, of course.

Humour is used to great effect to heighten the tension. This is a very clever theatrical device and director Paula Bate uses it with delicacy e.g. D.S. Penny's (Michael Sterbal) interest in the maid Doris (Naomi Englebett) is not only related to the murder investigation.

Undercurrents of previous liaisons are hinted at and this adds to the mystery of the play. What was the connection between Henrietta Angkatell (Melanie Robinson) and Edward (Tom Massey) and John Cristow (Alan Scully) and Veronica Craye (Georgina Anderson)? Is murder the only way to keep it secret?

The characters are uniformly excellent from the vaguely batty Lady Angkatell played with delight by Shane Bates to the dour Inspector Colquhoun played by Darran Moran.

Other cast members including Robert Drew, Genevieve Mortiss, Paul Treacy and Julia Knapman complement each other in this production.

"The Hollow" plays from 7th July to 25th August.