New Theatre, Cardiff
Tue 17-Sat 21 Apr
Cardiff’s New Theatre has long been the proud venue for many of Agatha Christie’s mysteries and thrillers to come to life, and this month things are no different. After receiving positive reviews from critics, Agatha Christie and Frank Vosper’s adaptation of Love From A Stranger is soon to take to the stage. Drawing on Christie’s earlier works, such as The Stranger and her short story Philomel Cottage, director Lucy Bailey (King Lear, Dial M For Murder, The Postman Always Rings Twice) has taken the play from its original comfortable 1930s backdrop and into film noir-era 1958, paired with bursts of luxurious background. With its four-month UK tour underway, this lesser-known romantic thriller is anything but insubstantial; its ominous tagline of “be careful who you wish for” is enough to hint at the excitement and dashing of expectations the audience awaits.
Opening to glowing reviews upon the play’s first performances in London and New York in 1936, Love From A Stranger thrilled and captivated viewers; though rarely performed since, like Agatha Christie’s other much-loved works, the story has managed to keep the same grip on its audience decades on. Upon its adaption for American radio in the form of Suspense, Orson Welles was a member of the main cast.
Helen Bradbury’s Cecily Harrington recklessly abandons the life she knows after mysterious and charming stranger Bruce Lovell (Sam Frenchum) sweeps her off her feet. The pair relocate to start a new life in the tranquil, picturebook countryside, yet those familiar with Christie’s famous classics will know their story will not end as blissfully as their tranquil new surroundings suggest. The play’s tension culminates in its wonderful final scene in which Love From A Stranger’s protagonist realises her new-found love may not be as idyllic as it first seemed. Full of suspense and twists, this eight-date stop at the New Theatre is one not to miss.
Admission: £12.50-£32.50. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
words CHLOE EDWARDS
photo SHEILA BURNETT
