Revenge is Mine!

Well, no, "Revenge" currently belongs to the Old Mill Theatre, directed by Joe Isaia. Although I knew nothing about the play, I was looking forward to this production based upon my enjoyment of Joe's previous directorial effort (Nuts), and I was not disappointed.

Rightly or wrongly, first impressions count for a lot, and as the curtains opened we were treated to one of the most marvellous sets I have seen in a long while. The opulence of the decor was supported by the relaxed and confident way that actor Garry Lawrence entered what was obviously his domain. I did think that the projection could have been a bit more pronounced, but otherwise the stage was set (so to speak) for an engaging thriller.

The ball started rolling with the entrance of the voluptuous Denise, seductively played by the always-lovely Kylie Landwehr. Thus ensued an involved ( but not complicated) plot - heavy with narrative, but not unrewarding for those who paid attention.

The arrival of our second antagonist, played by Ann Isaia, upped the stakes. Ann, a relative newcomer (according to the programme) held her own against the other female lead (Kylie) and, dare I say it, even outshone Kylie on occasion as the emotions on stage reached a crescendo.

Perhaps disappointing was the poor projection exhibited by Dan Walls, who, in a comparitively minor role (there are no small roles, only small actors) failed to empathically connect with the audience: an unusually subdued outing from this talented actor.

Unreserved praise is often viewed suspiciously, so I will say that there were a few minor lines and FX problems, and overall projection could be improved, but these are minor points from an early performance in the season, and I'm sure things would have improved by now. A concise thriller, that doesn't keep you out past midnight - try and catch it.


MM