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DANGEROUS OBSESSION
Churchill Productions
The Village Hall
Spetisbury
January 2003

WHEN Chris Sommerfelt, playing John Barratt, appeared on stage at the beginning of this play’s second act wearing spectacles that had previously been absent, I assumed it was simply a memory lapse. It was, but not what I thought – minutes later, after several prompts, he began reading his lines from his script, to my mind unacceptable and at one stroke killing almost all the tension that had previously built up in this otherwise superbly performed psychological thriller, excellently directed by Beryl Snadden.
It had all begun so promisingly, with a marvellous conservatory set in which bird song, flowers and fine lighting effects perfectly captured the oppressive heat of a summer’s day that would end in more than tears as near-stranger Barratt’s arrival shattered the peace of the Driscolls’ wealthy Home Counties existence.
Jan Wyld was faultless as Sally Driscoll, perfectly conveying in both speech and body language the emotions of a woman terrified for her life. Andy Oldfield as her husband, Mark, was also well cast, as indeed would Mr Sommerfelt have been if only he had known his words. As it was, his juggling act between script and hand-gun took the audience’s attention well away from the potential plot outcome. A pity.

Linda Kirkman
Courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo


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