|  | The Third Man
The Drum Theatre, Plymouth
Tues 16th - Sat 20th November 2004
Time: 7.45pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions available)
01752 267222
This is theatre with the wow factor...a stage production with lots of added extras.
Most people know the story of The Third Man. Written by Graham Greene, it hit the big screen in 1949, starring Orson Welles.
The background...
The story is set in Vienna in 1948, when the city is struggling to recover from the war. It's split into four individual sectors run by Britain, America, France and Russia.
Corruption is rife, and with black marketeers seemingly running the economy, kidnappings and murders are a regular occurence.
The play...
 | | Rollo Martins and Colonel Calloway |
When you arrive in the theatre, you are confronted by a set featuring the walls of war damaged buildings, and the place resounds to a soundtrack of twangy guitar, loud bass and jerky beats...very atmospheric.
And then the dark, shadowy figures appear on the stage, led by our narrator Colonel Calloway (Andrew Forbes).
He is investigating the death of British man Harry Lime (Justin Webb), who was run over by a car.
Enter Harry's old schoolmate, Rollo Martins (Antony Gabriel), who is now a successful writer of pulp fiction.
Rollo reckons Harry was murdered and begins the search for the mysterious third man, who was spotted with two other known men carrying Harry's body from the road into his flat.
But it's obvious all is not as it seems on the surface, and that Harry has been involved in the black market. Only it's even worse than that.
 | | Rollo and his old mate Harry |
What really makes this play so absorbing is that the suspense is maintained throughout. The acting, without exception, is spot on. There are only six of them, and they do a great job.
They are helped by the set, which is manoeuvred around to create different scenes, and by the music, which creates an air of mystery.
Throughout the play, shadowy figures (the characters not actually involved in the scene) lurk in the background.
And in every single scene, there is the ubiquitous hospital bed...
There is also a camera on stage which is moved around to give a different, close-up perspective of the action which is screened on three TV monitors on the side of the stage - another innovative touch.
And the end...talk about going out with a bang. Fantastic stuff.
Director Jonathan Holloway said he wanted the play to be darker, nastier and seedier than the film because that was how Greene wrote it, and he has certainly succeeded in his aim.
The Third Man is at the Drum until Saturday night, and it's advisable to book on the phone in advance to be sure of getting a seat.
The Third Man
The Drum Theatre, Plymouth
Tues 16th - Sat 20th November 2004
Time: 7.45pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions available)
01752 267222
|
It was absolutely brilliant. I'd come and see it again. It didn't lose any suspense and the set was amazing. And the end was brilliant, as was the use of the video camera - Michael, Launceston
