Once again we were fortunate to enjoy some capacity audiences for our this show and as always we are very grateful to all those loyal patrons who supported the production. Thanks also, of course, to all the cast and crew who worked so hard to make this happen. A very particular and huge thanks to our Director, Beth Duce, who had to cope with the disappointment of seeing this show postponed over three years ago as the nation went into its first lockdown. Beth worked particularly hard to get this one "back on the road" and the feedback we have received testifies to the remarkable success of her efforts. Thanks Beth and everyone else! Below you will find photos, reviews and audience comments to give a feel of the show.

Our thanks as always to Ann Lightman and Donna Shoesmith-Evans for taking the trouble to provide this review for our production:

This production was well worth the wait. Having started rehearsal in February 2020, but impacted by Covid, it was finally ready for production in October 2023. Directed by Beth Duce, it had all the elements of a classic plot unravelling and held us captivated to the very end.

Whilst storm Babet was raging outside, we were transported to Costa del Crime in sunny Spain, the action of the play taking place in September 2004. Back in the good old, bad old days, Mickey and Ray were East End villains, working together on a series of lucrative crimes. Today, Mickey is living a comfortable life in Spain with his younger, second wife Francine whilst Ray, married to sharp-tongued Brenda, is living what appears to be a less lucrative life, back in Britain. After two years without any contact Mickey invites Ray and Brenda over to Spain for a visit and Ray is delighted, but Brenda is suspicious, wondering what Michael's true motives are.  She and Mickey know each other from school days and she is well aware of what and who he is. Ray however, is more forgiving of his old pal, but to add to the mix, Polly, a young researcher working on a movie, introduces further tension to an already volatile situation and, as the stories of the men's past are told, suspicions increase until finally the truth is revealed...

The set appeared to be simple – set in one room, with action offstage involving a flower delivery lady, and references to the larger estate and garden. The modern technology seemed ultra modern for 2004 with its series of cameras and flat screen TV to monitor, but I guess that villains like Mickey needed their own protection.

The casting of 5 main protagonists, all had their part to play, along with the flower delivery lady, who helped develop the unsavoury character of Mickey. We had been warned in advance about the language used and Mickey in particular made use of this. David Pritchard played this role with menace, along with some softer touches, extolling the virtues of being a grandad, but always with his own interests at heart. Ray, played by Gavin Jones, was much more of a family man, showing loyalty to his friend Mickey and wife Brenda, but also a hardened criminal in his own right. He played the role perfectly. Brenda was a revelation – played by Dianne Newby, she was feisty, but held Ray together. She said she knew little of the details of what he had been involved with and was loyal to him to the last. Her animosity with Mickey ran very deep, over decades, and she knew her husband would be manipulated by him, unless she outwitted Mickey herself. Newcomer Sophie Coulson played the role of Polly – and played her well as a researcher, before the transformation to wily detective, who worked out Brenda and knew how she would work with her. Francine, played by Anne Barrowman, added an extra layer to Mickey, but she did not get on with his family, and was very suspicious of anyone who got close to Mickey. Her reaction when she thought Mickey had been shot was a real highlight.

The casting was superb - and the layers of character were steadily built in the first half to reveal a complex situation. 

Polly, in particular, as the young researcher was very convincing, and clearly had more depth than she initially suggested and her change of role to being a detective was superb. Indeed, whilst the play seemed to be initially based on the roles of the male villains, the real strength of the performance was from the wily women - some who had accepted their men for what they were (Brenda) or what they had given them in terms of money (Francine) but Polly and Brenda also worked together to ensure justice was served.

Adel Players are very lucky to have Digna to provide a true touch of Spain, and especially so for this production. Her fluent Spanish highlighted the inadequacies of the English attempts at the language, creating a humorous touch.

The character build up and script were excellent and I am delighted to note that the next Adel play is also written by Richard Harris. This is called Party Piece and runs from Weds 17 – Sat 20 January. It is described as a comedy – and one to certainly get tickets for!