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Play Review The devil lives on 'Angel Street'
This middleclass couple resides on Angel Street in Pimlico, a residential district of central London, in 1880. Despite the outward respectability- servants, good clothes, well-appointed house- we see immediately that something's amiss. Bella's attempt to please and surprise her husband with muffins for tea is met with a rebuff from Jack. He orders her about, berates her in front of a servant, and teases her with promises which he later withdraws. He emotionally abuses her in a calm, calculated manner. Bella tolerates his taunts, then begs for kindness, and capitulates. Her actions seem understandable in the Victorian era, when married women were treated like children and obeyed their husbands without question. Bella believes she caused Jack's intolerance by her own irrational behavior. Jack accuses Bella of causing strange incidents around the house. She can't recall doing these things- but her husband must be right. Her mother died in an insane asylum and Bella fears she's heading toward the same fate. She hears footsteps in the closed-up upper floor and sees the gas lamp flicking for no apparent cause. Is she suffering from hallucinations- or is something diabolical going on? Then police Inspector Rough enters and spins a strange tale to Bella of a murder 15 years ago, missing jewels, a killer not caught, and a woman who may have married an imposter. He needs her assistance to catch this murderer- at the risk of her own life. Todd Weldon portrays a sinister, cold-hearted Jack, calm but controlling, whose fine clothes and starched linen collars belie the monster within. Nancy Finn has a tough acting job, to keep Bella scared almost the entire time she's on stage. Finn does the role justice. She builds her nervousness subtly without overacting. Srinivas Kanury plays Rough with delight and humor, as if he's working a jigsaw puzzle instead of tracking a killer. This man loves his work. He reminds me of the TV character Columbo, with his pixielike charm, sharp mind, and tenaciousness which keeps him clinging to a cold case. Like the "Columbo" TV show, this play has a great deal of talk, endless exposition and long speeches. The production wisely breaks up the dialogue with background music- I love the dramatic piano chords when something bad happens. The actors handle the dialogue well and the action, directed by Arryck Adams, moves at a snappy pace. This play isn't a traditional mystery. The audience knows early on what's going on, although Bella is not a quick study and one wonders how she can be so dense. I didn't get a sense of danger, as Kanury is almost too lacksidasical and besides, he tells us that help's on the way. The suspense, rather, is psychological, between Jack and Bella, as he strives to drive her over the brink and she attempts to cling to the ledge. The servants are aptly played by Hannah Kaplan as Nancy, the saucy Cockney maid (every British household/play has one), and Camille La Fredo as Elizabeth, loyal and clear-headed. Nancy's so intent on seducing Jack that she misreads his affection- he's playing mind games on her to serve his purposes. Elizabeth is Bella's only friend, who tries to help her mistress in her own classlimited way. Jeremy Hanna and Chris White do well in their small roles although their uniforms don't appear authentic. The fight scene and rope props need tightening (literally). Still, the other costumes are colorful. The set design is commendable except that those sitting on house left may find the upstage action at the dinner table blocked by the sofa. "Angel Street" continues on weekends through May 12 at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee Sun., May 6. The theater is at 351 S. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks. For tickets, call (805) 495-3715. |
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