Written By
Hugh Mills
Where and When
6th – 8th March 1986 @ The Allendale Centre, Wimborne
The Plot
Maurice plans to eliminate his half-brother Colin, but Colin’s unhappy wife is also prompted to murder him. When the body is found the question arises: who is responsible? Meanwhile, Maurice regards his neurotic wife, Janet, as an impediment to his plans and uses his hypnotic influence to compel her to kill herself. Fortunately for Janet, Colin’s shady business activities had already attracted official attention as the play races towards a thrilling and unusual climax.
Cast
- Colonel Forbes – Joe Brooks
- Stella – Jan Stevenson
- Janet – Rosemary Woodward
- Brenda – Yvonne Goodman
- Maurice – Spencer Hare
- Colin – John Fry
- Iris – Chrissie Wathen
- Mr Howard – Richard Johns
- Nurse Thomson – Isabel Falconer
Creative Team
- Director – David Green
- Stage Manager – Carolyn Woodward
- Lighting – David Woodward
- Sound – Muriel Brooks
- Properties – Sandra Fry and Isabel Falconer
- Propmpt – Barbara Trebilco
- Set Design – Muriel Brooks and Thelma Dryden
- Front of House – Daphne Young
- Production Secretary – Joyce Eidmans
- Publicity – Carolyn Woodward
Gallery
Reviews
Lakeside Eeriness
Not a very merry place The House By The Lake. That slightly eerie ring in the title of the play by Hugh Mills sets the scene of the eerier things to come and as the plot unfolds, the tension builds up, though not as chillingly as the script demands in this production by Wimborne Drama Club which ended it’s three night run on Saturday.
Certainly there was nothing to fault in the performance of Joe Brooks as the well meaning Colonel Forbes, nor in that of Rosemary Woodward as the wife of the scheming Dr Holt. But Spencer Hare as the doctor was in less than the best of form. True, the doctor had his work cut out to bump off a troublesome brotherin order to lay hands on the cash but somehow Mr Hare didnt seem to have his heart in it.
Jan Stevenson as his partner in crime was more convincing while John Fry, a newcomer to the Drama Club showed promise. Richard Johns as the detective was playing is first important role. He will have gained useful experience from the excercise but it was a mistake to lumber him on this occasion with so much responsibility.
Chrissie Wathen was in good form and, with Isabel Falconer and Yvonne Goodman, compensated for some of the duller moments in the living room of the house by the lake where a murder was arranged but not too billiantly executed.
Newcomers make their mark in thriller
Almost half the cast of Wimborne Drama Club’s latest presentation of the thriller The House By The Lake were newcomers – but their inexperience did not show.
Such was the calibre of many of the performers at Saturday’s production at The Allendale Centre, Wimborne, that it was difficult to tell which of the actors were new. But it was a pity that at times the cast had to compete for the audience’s attention with assorted noises and mumblings from the bar staff.
The action in Hugh Mill’s play which ran for three nights from Thursday takes place at the country home of Maurice Holt , near a lake. It is winter and the ice is just starting to thaw.
Maurice, played by Spencer Hare, is a psychiatrist who specialises in hypnotism but who has been struck off the medical register. He trusted his devious brother-in-law, Colin, played by John Fry, and allowed a patient to invest, and lose, £20,000 in a company formed by Colin.
Janet played by Rosemary Woodward, is the doctor’s wife, a former manic depressive whom he cured. She becomes concerned that Maurice and his sister, Stella, played by Jan Stevenson, are hiding something from her, and she is right. They plan to kill Colin using poison and then dump his body in the rapidly thawing lake, making it seem as if he took a short cut over the ice and fell in.
They are part owners with Colin, of the Brocklebank mill and want to sell it and take off together. But one morning Colin tells them that he will not sell unless they can pull some strings to secure another of his dirty deals. That evening Colin comes around for dinner to discuss plans and the murder is committed, but rather later than the couple thought.
Maurice and Stella do not have enough time to move the body from the house to the lake because the maid, magnificently played by Yvonne Goodman, and Janet and Colonel Forbes, played by Joe Brooks, the chief of police drop round on a social call, all turn up earlier than expected.
Eventually Maurice manages to carry the body out to the lake and to throw it in, and it is later discovered. Iris, played by Chrissie Wathen, is Colin’s badly beaten wife. She thinks she has killed her husband with some morpine that she placed in his drink after a particularly vitriolic argument.
But Nurse Thomson, played by Isabel Falconer, throws new light on the crime. Finally all the loose ends are tied up Mr Howard, played by Richard Johns, a detetctive who is investigating Colin’s fraudulent dealings. They play is slow in the first act and some of the thrill is taken away by knowing “whodidit”. But towards the end the action hots up as the two killers try to hide the crime.
Spencer Hare, who hs been with Wimborne Drama Club for 10 years, played Maurice with a great deal of skill, while Jan Stevenson and Rosemary Woodward played their parts with conviction. John Fry’s debut produced a credible acting performance, although he delivered his lines in a monotonous lilt.
Newcomers Richard Johns, Chrissie Wathen and Isabel Falconer, who has had previous experience in Australia, handled their parts well. Special mention must be made of Yvonne Goodman’s portrayal of the maid, Brenda, which injected a few welcome moments of humour into the proceedings. Joe Brooks, who has notched up about 30 plays with the club, was competent during his appearances on stage.
The play’s producer was David Green. Murial Brroks and Thelma Dryden made an excellent job of the design of the lavish set. Carolyn Woodward was the stage manager and looked after publicity. David Woodward handled the lighting and Muriel Brooks the sound.
Sandra Fry and Isabel Falconer took care of properties and Barbara Trebilco was the propmpter. In charge of front of house was Daphne Young, and the production secretary was Joyce Eidmans.
Programme
