‘a highly skilled and mature handling of a dark text’ Charlotte Mulliner ★★★★★

Snake in the Grass ★★★★★

Regent’s Park Thursday 26^th November 7pm

Review by Charlotte Mulliner

This adaptation from a longer Alan Ayckbourn play pits two damaged sisters against each other in a twisted dialogue. Miriam, abused by her father and abandoned by her family subtly gets inside the mind of both the audience and her sister Annie, herself a once-beaten wife. Ruby Thomas, as Miriam, was beautifully effective. With a measured and disturbingly matter of fact tone she built up the tension and eeriness of this scene, helped along by well used sound and lighting effects. As Annie, Cassie Barraclough was highly sympathetic, achieving truthful moments of tenderness and emotional reality in her longer speeches. This was a highly skilled and mature handling of a dark text: a brilliant dualogue.