Written By
Patrick Hamilton
Where and When
21st – 23rd February 2019 @ The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne
The Plot
Bella Manningham, once a beauty but now pallid and withdrawn, suffers from what she believes are the early stages of insanity, a disease from which her mother died. Her husband, Jack Manningham, struggles to help her, and spends his evenings out on the town in order to cope. Or so he makes her believe.
Bella evidently misplaces items from time to time, some of which are gifts from her husband. Because she cannot remember moving or misplacing these items, she thinks she is going crazy. It becomes clear, however, that her husband is behind these petty inconsistencies in order to slowly drive her insane and torture her into believing they are her fault.
But what of the dimming lights and footsteps heard within the house while her husband is away? Are these simply a figment of her delusional mind?
Then late one evening, a stranger comes to the house while Jack is out and explains he is there to help Mrs. Manningham. Who is this man and what secrets does he know? Why is Jack tormenting his wife? Is Bella truly going mad? This Victorian thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat as you discover the mysteries of the Manningham home.
Cast
- Bella Manningham – Tracey Nicholls
- Jack Manningham – Richard Neal
- Elizabeth – Chrissie Neal
- Nancy – Jemma Cable
- Inspector Rough – Chris Durham
- Other parts played by Gary Paine and Richard Scotson
Creative Team
- Director – Sam Moulton
- Stage Manager – Phyllis Spencer
- Set Designer – Chis Durham
- Set Construction – Chris Durham, Colin Pile, Ann McColgan-Clark and Members of the Company
- Continuity – Jan Stevenson
- Costumes – Ann McColgan-Clark
- Properties/ASMs – Sheila Dove and Judy Garrett
- Sound – Michelle Barter
- Publicity and Programme – Richard Neal
For The Tivoli
- Production Manager – Kyle Best
- Lighting Manager – Luke Baines
- Head of Sound – Chandler Whitelock
Gallery
Reviews
John Newth – Scene One
Written in 1938, Gaslight was extraordinarily ahead of its time. Even though the concept of coercive control has been acknowledged for some time, action to deal with it has been taken only in the last few years (it became a criminal offence as part of the Serious Crime Act 2015). Since then, though, the verb ‘to gaslight’ has become a trendy usage and its meaning has already spread wider than simply abuse within marriage – commentators have even accused President Trump of ‘gaslighting the world’.
All this from a thriller which is excellent of its type but whose author, Patrick Hamilton, could surely not have anticipated the context in which his work would be seen eighty years later. It opens with Jack Manningham subtly but ruthlessly setting out to destroy the composure, then the confidence and ultimately the sanity of his wife, Bella. An unknown and unexpected caller, Inspector Rough, turns out to be an ally and alerts Bella to the danger she is in.
The actress playing Bella Manningham is onstage for well over half the piece and has to present states of mind from submissiveness, through terror and hysteria, to strong independence. Tracey Nicholls is terrific in the part, conveying a huge range of emotions through not just voice and facial expressions but body language as well. She engages the sympathy of the audience – ‘Be kind to me!’ she cries despairingly to Jack – and long before the end, we have forgiven the drippy servility that she displays at the start. It is a truly exceptional performance. Only one reservation: Tracey quite rightly wants to keep up the pace, but on the first night anyway, this sometimes led her to speak her lines rather too fast, with a loss of clarity of diction.
Richard Neal brings out the monster in Jack Manningham very effectively. Powerful and authoritative in voice and movement, he dominates the scenes he is in. He almost convinces us, as he does Bella, that everything that goes wrong is her fault. But he can be charming, too, even if it is in a patronising way, as when he calls Bella ‘a good child’.
Completing a trio of thoughtful and nuanced performances in which there is not a weak link is Chris Durham, who makes a hugely believable and attractive character out of Inspector Rough. His little chuckle is particularly endearing. He, too, brings out all sides of the character: the policemen in some thrillers appear incapable of self-doubt, but Chris gives full weight to the moments when Rough is made vulnerable by events and is clearly uncertain how things will turn out.
Chrissie Neal as a loyal and homely Elizabeth, and Jemma Cable as insolent, sexy Nancy, ensure that the contribution of the servants’ hall does not let down the performances of those above stairs.
For a thriller, parts of the play are quite slow-paced, when an actor is attending to some stage business or is on stage on his or her own. Director Sam Moulton does not altogether overcome this problem, but his direction does impart plenty of natural movement to a play that has a lot of words and precious little action. Most of all, he has drawn their best out of three very talented actors.
Finally, a shout-out for the best am-dram programme I have ever seen. As well as the usual stuff, there are three really interesting, informative and well-written background articles. One of them presents the intriguing idea that Cassandra, the Trojan soothsayer who was doomed to have no-one believe her, was the first victim of gaslighting.
Marilyn Barber – Mags4Dorset
When it comes to unpleasant characters, you would have to go a long way to find one to equal Jack Manningham.
Richard Neal must have turned himself inside out to portray this cold, manipulative man who slowly convinces his wife Bella (Tracey Nicholls) that she is going insane.
At first appearing to be trying to help and understand her, it was soon clear that in fact he was undermining her with every word and action.
Tracey Nicholls never disappoints and in this role she took advantage of every opportunity to show her sadness and despair as her life appeared to be going in a downward spiral.
The term ‘gaslighting’ – which has become familiar recently with the Metoo movement – originated from this play, which is set in Victorian London. Bella is told by Jack that the gaslights dimming in the house are a figment of her imagination, when there is in fact a real reason for them to do so.
Chrissie Neal was sensible and measured as Elizabeth the housekeeper, whilst Jemma Cable was suitably flirty and impudent as Nancy the maid.
Chris Durham looked thoroughly as home with his portrayal of the kindly, but efficient Inspector Rough, who reassured Bella that there was nothing wrong with her sanity and that her husband was in fact a cruel killer and a thief.
The final scene sealed his fate.
Two police officers (Gary Paine and Richard Scotson) arrested Jack and tied him to a chair, giving Bella the chance to taunt him and to realise that she was now free – and perfectly sane.
Directed by Sam Moulton, this was another very professional production by this talented drama group who never have any problem with filling the Tivoli Theatre for four performances.
Programme
