22 March – 12 April
If it’s possible (and I think it is) for a show to be the victim of its own ambition, then I think we have in this production a prime example of the fault, if fault it be. The ambition was to take a handful of the half hour dramas presented by Hitchcock in his 1950’s/ 60’s television shows which went under the collective title ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’, and weave them into a coherent whole. Taken individually, the playlets chosen from the televised series are short stories of intrigue and murder; each one exhibiting the hallmarks of suspense and technical mastery of storytelling we associate with Hitchcock, often with a twist at the end. Seen as a whole they offer a wry look at the kinds of human weakness that can drive us to murder. However taking them as a whole makes them a little indigestible. No sooner have we tasted and become engaged with one story than we are teased with another, leading the previous one to niggle away on the mental back-burner.
Every now and then the refrain, “Everyone wants to kill someone”, brings the stories together, but that common thread is different from them all fitting together as part of the same intricate machine, even though all the moving parts are beautifully formed. Some years ago there was a long running West End show called, Side by Side by Sondheim, in which singers went through the Sondheim songbook. Whilst Steven Lutvak’s clever score is without any obvious show stopping and hummable tunes, it does share Sondheim’s gift for character. The songs each allow the cast to shine as singers and, notably in the female parts, as character actors. Not a one is anything less than perfect for the role.
No more could I fault the directing, the design or the lighting. In short this is a highly accomplished production that teases and pleases. John Doyle who directs has done a fair job of making Jay Dyer’s script look like a wholesome main course. The interplay and shuffling of the various stories is smooth and gives the impression of being a slick interplay, but ultimately left me feeling confused. Not until act two is there any coherence, but by this time I had resigned myself to enjoying the individual performances as polished cabaret acts.
The show is well put together and entertains, but the sum is no greater than the parts, despite some outstanding performances.
★★★☆☆ Graham Wyles, 28 March 2025
Photography credit: Manuel Harlan
