The Black Veil, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, March 22 to March 26 (From The Argus)

The Black Veil, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, March 22 to March 26

10:14am Friday 25th March 2011 in Stage Reviews By Tony Flood

The Black Veil, a chilling thriller by John Goodrum based on a short story by Charles Dickens, leads the audience down several blind alleys before revealing all with a clever double twist.

But Geoff Gilder’s stark, unimpressive set fails to provide the right atmosphere and, with director Bruce James allowing the first half to become drawn out, the play does not generate sufficient suspense.

The first act is a two-hander confined to a young, newly qualified Victorian doctor (Nick Murphy) and a mysterious lady visitor (Jen Holt) wearing a thick veil which hides her face.

Holt has the difficult task of using only her voice to portray an old woman desperately seeking the doctor’s help to save her stricken grandson Billy. She would be more convincing if she changed her tone more often.

Dr Ruggles is ready to go immediately to Limehouse to help Billy, but the old lady insists that he visits in the morning. During their conversation Dr Ruggles reveals his relationships with an ex-girlfriend, Carla, and his present fiancée Rose.

The old lady eventually sheds the veil in a much more eventful second act. Holt takes full advantage and her performance has far greater impact, as does that of Murphy.

The appearance of the third member of the cast, Nick Barclay as the thuggish Luke, certainly brings a welcome new tension to the proceedings. Barclay brilliantly shows the two sharply contrasting characteristics of his role as it transpires that nothing is as it seems.