TV’s ‘Joseph’ winner is play’s star attraction

LORD ARTHUR SAVILE’S CRIME, Palace, Manchester

VERY much second cousin to Wilde’s “Importance of Being Earnest”, this tale comes from a short story rather than a stage play — which gives adapters a fair amount of scope.

The adapter of this version, Trevor Baxter, and director Chris Luscombe, appear to have taken all the scope available then pinched a bit from somewhere else, for their production is redone as a turn of the 19th century melodrama, complete with false Victorian proscenium, scene-cards, chunks of Wilde’s “Ballad of Reading Gaol” and some fake aphorisms thrown in for good measure. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t: I wasn’t sure, for example, if the on-stage violin and piano duo were supposed to be louder than the dialogue when they played, or if it was a simple balance problem.

The other demand of the production is a certain style of overacting — rather “stand-up straight and declaim straight to the audience” style, as melodrama performers were inclined to do.

This could get a little tedious from time to time, though to watch the likes of Kate O’Mara as Lady Windermere staking her claim to play Lady Bracknell in the next tour of Earnest, was something to behold, as was the pitch-perfect dottiness of David Ross as the Dean.

Alongside these, Derren Nesbitt as the mad German bomber seemed almost restrained, and Gary Wilmot, giving a beautifully-timed comedy showing as fake palmist, Podgers, came across as simply not trying hard enough, even though he was. But many were there to see not the incredibly strong character-actor cast but TV’s “Joseph” star, Lee Mead, as Lord Arthur.

Savile is told by Podgers that he will one day kill someone, and determines to get it over with before his marriage to the determined Sybil (the excellent Louisa Clein).

Thus starts his murder quest, which provides most of the laughs. So can Mead act, seeing this is his first pro drama?

The answer is probably. In this show he is required only to speak clearly, put on a toff’s accent and keep up with everyone else, which he does admirably — in fact if Hugh Grant gives up movies, Mead could tone down this performance and move right in.

Apart from that the evening is a curiosity; “entertainment” rather than play from some of the country’s better comedy actors. It’s a bit mundane after you settle into the style, but it’s all over by 9.30pm and really does mostly entertain.