Coventry

The Booking Office in Association with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, present:
The Mummy, by Jack Milner
Belgrade Theatre: Tkts 024 7655 3055
www.belgrade.co.uk
Rns: 2hrs 10m: one interval: till 29th March 2014 and touring
Start: 7.30pm (Sat Matinee: 2.30 pm)
Review: Jan Pick
25.3.14

Can I hold your hand, mummy?
Into the Belgrade main house stomps a rip-roaring farce, mixed with judicious elements of pantomime, based loosely – very loosely – on Bram Stoker’s novel ‘The Jewel of the Seven Stars’. The plot is – well, complicated! Beginning as a lantern slide lecture narrated by our brave hero, Malcolm Ross – Jason Durr at his most suave – this is a story of deadly doings in deepest Cornwall.

Suddenly we are there, on a dark and stormy night – it would be – in the Cornish manor house where Egyptologist, Professor Trelawney, in search of the secret of eternal life – receives a mysterious package containing the ancient but remarkably fresh hand of a long dead Egyptian Queen, with a ring on one of its seven fingers! Cue dastardly attacks, Egyptian curses, ancient family retainers, a rather dim Inspector and beautiful suspect, the professor’s daughter, Margaret.

With the appearance of the dashing Boys Own hero, Basil Corbeck, the professor’s sidekick, the action moves to Egypt and the pyramids, where the Professor hopes to resurrect the Queen and learn her secrets. Our gallant hero, desperately in love with Margaret, goes along with them.
What could possibly go wrong?

Among the cast, Susie Amy excels as the vampish heroine, Margaret, Denis Lill makes a bluff, hearty professor and Dean Rehman enjoys himself as the villain priest, Sostra sick of eternal life and only wanting to be dead! Throw in Andrew Bone as the rather dim Inspector Doolan, David Partridge as the dashing explorer, and the plethora of extra characters the cast play alongside their own and the evening is packed with camp horror and fun! Particular mention to the wonderful scene where Explorer Basil demonstrates his expertise in the ‘Abyssinian dance craze’ known as the ‘peanut dance’ while Malcolm retaliates with his own bottom-wiggling routine.

The production is technically excellent – although so clever that the start was delayed by fifteen minutes due to a technical hitch! – with clever lighting and sound, a great set design and some very good special effects. All in all, a delightfully silly and gloriously entertaining evening.

Cast:
The Hero (Ross): Jason Durr
The Heroine (Margaret): Susie Amy
The Egyptologist (Trelawney): Denis Lill
Sosra: Dean Rehman
Doolan: Andrew Bone
Corbeck: David Partridge
Understudy: Elliot Fitzpatrick
Understudy: Elizabeth Menabney
Creative Team:
Writer: Jack Milner
Director: Joe Harmiston
Set Designer: Sean Cavanagh
Lighting Designer: Ben Cracknell
Sound Designer: Colin Pink
Casting Director: Anne Vosser
Production Manager: James Henshaw
Company Stage Manager: Helen Spall
Deputy Stage Manager: Natalie James-Fox

2014-03-28 20:53:51