Tuesday 4 November 2014

Dangerous Corner at The REP, Monday November 3rd 2014



Starring Bearwood’s very own Colin Buchanan (okay so he was born in Dundee but he used to live here...we’ll take that) J B Priestley’s Dangerous Corner is set in the glorious 1920/30’s so, if nothing else, you’re certainly guaranteed some rather gorgeous costumes and sets to drool over. Happily the team behind this new production has done a fine job on both counts and we had to be physically restrained from nicking the wooden panelling and vintage wireless. Centred around a glam get together things aren’t quite as pretty as they appear on the surface though as the truth behind the mysterious death of the host’s younger brother starts to unravel as fast as a ball of wool in room full of excited kittens.


Given that it was written way back in 1932 the mere mention of sex and drugs must’ve been pretty daring at the time. Even now the various revelations unveiled throughout the evening would give the cast on one of those dreadful ‘reality’ TV shows a run for their money (The Only Way Is Priestley anyone?). We wouldn’t want to give the plot away but suffice to say that the deceased was a bit of a ‘lad’...ahem.  

The cast really evoke the era with Rosie Armstrong (who appears relatively briefly) in super form as the gossip loving Miss Mockridge. Matt Milne as the edgy Gordon Whitehouse and Michael Praed as the louche lizard Charles Stanton also merit a special mention...he makes the ultimate cad Terry-Thomas seem like a bit of a choir boy.


As a fine piece of period escapism with more twists and turns than a year’s worth of soap scripts this is one corner that’s well worth spending an evening in.  

Dangerous Corner is on at The REP until Saturday November 8th. Tickets right here

All photos courtesy of Robert Day

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