A Tomb with a View

Grave Situation

An audience composed of refugees fro the three-ring Northfield election circus ended up witnessing a theatrical marginal instead.

There's murder and plenty of Mayhem in plenty as the bloodthristy Tombs systematically kill off each other for control of the family's millions. But the laughs are as hollow as the secret passageways which honeycomb their ancient pile.

In act two, shortly before she too joins the unheavenly host of bodies, elder sister Dora (Val Archer) pinpoints the play's problems when she asks bewilderedly: "Why does everybody keep dying like this? It's not amusing any more."

She's right. But there's no early curtain for the audience.

Val Archer is given her head to develop one of the play's better roles, Estelle Shutkever provides another highspot and Willa Hislop also succeeds with the tight cameo of housekeeper Angela Hammond.

Elsewhere, however, director Angela Smith needs to impose a tighter rein particularly on the part of Lucien Tomb (Ian Bruce) whose machine-gun style of delivering his lines clouds the vitally important scene-setting speech at the start.

Chris Walder, Local Newspaper 1982

Tedious Tomb

This comedy thriller was slightly disappointing and was not the best play member have presented mainly because the plot was too protracted and the cast had to work hard to obtain laughs.

The finding of dead bodies in sundry places might have been amusing for a time, when it continued for two-and-a-half hours it grew tedious.

The story line eventually became so involved that even after the final denouement many people must have been left wondering who did what to who - and why!

It also seemed that the presentation lacked a little of the professionalism usually associated with the society.

This showed particularly in the early scenes where it seemed some of the players were reciting their lines and on occasion it was difficult to catch what one or two of the characters were saying.

But there were redeeming factors, most notably Willa Hislop's performance together with those of Ann Cope, Val Archer and Estelle Shutkever.

Credit must go to the make up artist who had transformed the players as their ghoulish parts demanded and the set and costumes were excellent.

P.K.S., Local Newspaper 1982