A Judgement In Stone

Re-staging this classic Ruth Rendell commentary of social division from 1977 forty years later, poses an interesting challenge. You hope that in the last four decades there has been a shift in attitudes, making some of the play's observations - if not its central theme - seem outdated. Of course, that's a good thing, but Rendell's book uses the inability of its central character (housekeeper Eunice Parchman) to read and write as a shocking spine to the narrative. In 2017, you would hope that anyone getting to their 40s or 50s without basic reading and writing, would be greeted with understanding rather than as a social outcast that is suggested here.

This is perhaps why the focus is shifted slightly from the original novel, and other characters are developed more intriguingly and therefore become more central to the plot. Further insight will lead us into spoiler territory, and if you haven't read or seen an adaptation of this before, your enjoyment will be enhanced by the air of intrigue that hangs over any thriller.

Overseeing The Classic Thriller Theatre Company's production is Roy Marsden, who played Rendell's detective Adam Dalgliesh in the 80s and 90s. His portrayal was always of a thoughtful and intense investigator, and there are elements of those Dalgliesh mysteries that creep into this adaptation.

The play opens with a murder of a family in a Suffolk country house, not seen by the audience. We are introduced as a detective arrives from London to head-up the investigation. The direction allows for clever switches in time, from after to before the murders, that help the story flow. These could have been jolting, but instead of confusing you, they support the character development and look to address each question the detectives come to as their investigation unfolds. The only issue is perhaps understanding when the play is set. The technological references are initially a little vague and the costumes do not feel particularly 1977.

Terrific in the part of housekeeper Eunice Parchman, is Sophie Ward, being both cold and distant, but also strangely vulnerable. In fact, the harmless detectives aside, Eunice is perhaps the only person you begin to warm to. The family at the heart of the murder are almost instantly dislikeable; caught somewhere between middle and upper class, like a wannabe, wanderlust, chasing Jack Wills set of 2017. They sing together to opera (weird) and talk of social engagements as if it's the State Opening of Parliament. The fact you know they end up murdered is almost a relief.

Credit then to the cast for capturing the feeling of unease about class divide that Rendell intended 40 years ago. Rosie Thomson as the wife, mother and step-mother Jacqueline Coverdale glows as a try-too-hard bridge between the husband and housekeeper's social void. The only disappointment was that Blue's Antony Costa (who plays a gardener with a dodgy background) didn't get to play a policeman or judge and use the line "I rest my case" (one for the millennials there). Joking aside, this is a well staged adaptation that captures the eerie atmosphere of a classic Rendell and still has the power to unsettle the audience.