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The Shop At Sly Corner.
First performed in 1945 at St Martin's Theatre, London where it ran for
800 performances.
Part of the 2004 Pitlochry Festival Theatre Summer Season for full details
about theatre and
reviews of the other shows in season
here.
Playwright - Edward Percy.
Director - John Durnin.
Assistant Director - Kate Nelson.
Designer – Adrian Rees.
Costume design – Emma Donovan.
Lighting Designer – Mark Pritchard.
Fight Director – Raymond Short.
Company - Pitlochry Theatre
Company .
Cast - here .
Venue - Pitlochry Theatre e-mail booking
01796 484626.
Dates and Times - in repertory until October 2004. Details
here .
Run Time - 2 hours 40 mins including 2 intervals.
Reviewer - Vivien Devlin.
On-the-edge-of the-seat thriller.
The Shop At Sly Corner - Pitlochry Festival Theatre Production.
Archie -Samuel James and Robert - Guy Fearon.
© Douglas McBride 2004.
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The moment the curtain swished open, the audience was immediately
enraptured, applauding the meticulously designed set - a fabulous Aladdin's
cave of an antique shop, choc-a-bloc with chairs, curios, clocks, paintings
and suits of armour. This is the private world of master jeweller Descius
Heiss, a Frenchman who, after the death of his wife, settled in England
with his daughter Margaret and sister Mathilde. This is London in the
late 1940s, the post-war years of opportunism, work, leisure and style
- the pretty Vogue dresses, black velvet evening gown, chalk-stripe suits
and fedora hats are fabulous. Margaret's fiancée Robert, a tall,
suave naval doctor, Guy Fearon, is back from the war and life looks
prosperous for the family.
Now the plot thickens in true Agatha Christie fashion. Descius is more than
a genial antique dealer; he is a diamond fence and gold melter with a secret
past. Desperate to keep his criminal life hidden from his beloved innocent
daughter, he becomes embroiled in a seedy, sly world of corruption, blackmail
and murder. This is not a traditional who-dun-it, but a moral tale about
crime and punishment with touches of light hearted humour from a cast of
colourful characters, from the elderly arthritic cook, Janet Michael,
to two young Cockney crooks, the nasty creepy, Archie, Samuel James,
and the farcically diffident Morris, Harry Ward.
Reviewing the first London production in 1945 a critic wrote that Mr
Percy has "Dickensian powers of characterisation." An
instant popular hit, the play ran for two years with 800 performances,
later transferring to Broadway with the role of Descius played by none
other than Boris Karloff.
The Shop At Sly Corner - Pitlochry Festival Theatre Production.
Descius Heiss - Martyn James.
© Douglas McBride 2004.
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John Durnin has been wise to direct the play exactly in period with a
straight acting style to capture the social mannerisms and ambience of
the classic golden age of crime writing. Martyn James as Descius
leads the ensemble, brilliantly portraying his double sided personality,
both charming father and devious jewel thief. He is well supported by
the radiant beauty, Emily Pennant-Rea as Margaret and Jacqueline
Dutoit as the motherly Mathilde. As you may imagine, appearing in
the final act is the Scotland Yard detective, discreetly played by
Matthew Lloyd Davies. This is a perfect on-the-edge-of the-seat thriller
which will keep you guessing right up to the shocking denouement at the
final curtain.
©Vivien Devlin, 8 May 2004 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Cast:
Descius Heiss - Martyn James.
Robert Graham - Guy Fearon.
Margaret Heiss - Emily Pennant-Rea.
Mrs Catt - Janet Michael.
Mathilde Heiss - Jacqueline Dutoit.
Joan Deal - Helen Logan.
John Elliot - Matthew Lloyd Davies.
Archie Fellowes - Samuel James.
Corder Morris - Harry Ward.
Steve Hubbard - Conrad Hornby.
The Play 's Dates & times of Performances:-
8 means performance of another Pitlochry production on that day.
Preview 6 May at 2pm.
Opens 6 May 2004 at 8pm then *8 May at 8pm, *15 May at 2pm, 21 May at 8pm,
25 May at 8pm, *26 May at 2pm, 28 May at 8pm, 31 May at 8pm.
*5 June at at 8pm, *9 June at 8pm, *12 June at 2pm, 17 June at 8pm, *26
June at 8pm.
1 July at 8pm, *10 July at 2pm, *14 July at 8pm, *17 July at 8pm, *21 July
at 8pm, *24 July at 8pm.
2 August at 8pm, *7 August at 8pm, 10 August at 8pm, *11 August at 2pm,
*18 August at 8pm, 23 August at 8pm, *28 August at 2pm.
*4 Sept at 8pm, 9 Sept at 8pm, 14 Sept at 8pm, *15 Sept at 2pm, 20 Sept
at 8pm, *25 Sept at 8pm.
*2 Oct at 8pm, *6 Oct at 8pm, 12 Oct at 8pm and last performance *13 Oct
at 2pm.
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