THEATRE REVIEW: Dead of Night at Rotherham Civic until Saturday

Dead of Night is "a four-handed thriller in which a prominent pistol plays a menacing ‘fifth man’," says reviewer Dave Doyle.
Cast members (left to right) are: Polly Lovegrove as Maggie; Mark Hone as Jack; Shaun Hollingworth as Dennis and Elaine Demaine as Lynne.Cast members (left to right) are: Polly Lovegrove as Maggie; Mark Hone as Jack; Shaun Hollingworth as Dennis and Elaine Demaine as Lynne.
Cast members (left to right) are: Polly Lovegrove as Maggie; Mark Hone as Jack; Shaun Hollingworth as Dennis and Elaine Demaine as Lynne.

AMERICAN TV and movies can make even a British viewer blasé about guns. Everyone on screen has got one, so they’re nothing special.

But a gun should inspire intense unease — especially when only one actor totes one.

So it is with Dead of Night, a four-handed thriller in which a prominent pistol plays a menacing ‘fifth man’.

Antique dealer Jack (Mark Hone) has been acquitted of murder, after shooting dead a suspected burglar in his home.

Neighbours Lynne (Elaine Demaine) and Dennis (Shaun Hollingworth) come over for a drink to celebrate justice prevailing — but who are those men in the car outside?

When Jack grabs an antique firearm from a cupboard\!q ,the good character which got him off comes under intense scrutiny.

And as drink flows and tongues loosen, the safety of Jack’s acquittal — and his relationship with young girlfriend Maggie (Polly Lovegrove) fall into doubt.

This gripping yarn, spun by late Coronation Street writer Peter Whalley, tests the limits of reasonable force and the justice system.

Hampered at their last outing by a tired old script, Rotherham Rep laid siege to this one armed with suitable sarcasm and storminess.

Lovegrove was the stand-out player, displaying admirable dramatic range as her character comes to know and confront her domineering, older boyfriend.

Her excellence is made all the more impressive by her appearance in Brassed Off only last Saturday, alongside castmate Hone.

Some prompts were needed on opening night, but the tiny cast had little respite from the long, winding dialogues which carried the twisting plot.

The living room set looks authentically cosy — a fact which makes the thought of murder all the more unsettling.

Next in the Rep’s programme is The 39 Steps, a comedy caper notorious for stretching its cast of four.

But this experienced amateur company has again shown — as it did with Neville’s Island before — that it can field a team licensed to thrill.

Dead of Night plays at Rotherham Civic Theatre every evening until Saturday.

Tickets cost £9 each or £8 for concessions. Visit the High Street box office, call 01709 823621 or email [email protected] to book.

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