Writer: Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Director: Phoebe Rowell John & Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Fun Film Noir”
4 / 5
A nondescript pub, at an unnamed train station, in a quiet port city is hardly the place you’d expect to be overrun with gangsters and guns, but when a mysterious newcomer accidentally gets off the train at the wrong location – she realises there’s a lot more to the place than first expected.
Pub regular (Paddy Echlin) and his bartender (Katherine Lea) are friendly enough, though clearly suspicious of newcomer (Meg Clarke), who never explains why she’s travelling on her own so late at night, without any luggage, purse or phone to hand. Her clipped formalities and snooty persona intrigue the locals, who quickly decide to make the most of the unexpected guest and offer her a deal that she’d struggle to refuse. Said deal involves a gun, a prostitute, £100,000 and a midnight flit on the last train – but can she really go through with it? Or will the city sheriff (David Carter) scupper her plans before she can even make a decision?
Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller’s tension-filled thriller is a brilliant homage to Hitchcock and the film noir genre. It’s deliciously slow-paced, building up the suspense with each lingering look or loaded comment. Although there is scant backstory for the characters, you immediately get a sense of them and their motives, allowing the audience to quickly invest into the storyline without much build up before the newcomer’s big dilemma is presented to her. Though there are a lot of small, silly plot-holes and unanswered questions, it doesn’t matter – the foundation of the narrative is strong enough to brush past the intricacies, and the cast do a fabulous job of keeping the suspense and intrigue high throughout the 70-minute runtime.
The set (Hannah Williams) immediately gives the atmosphere of a small, cozy pub, with the addition of an outside phone on the far wall, adding to the old-fashioned, mystery-esque nature of the production. The four actors are fabulous within their roles – Lea measured and calculating, Echlin inviting but suspicious, and Clarke uptight yet desperate for excitement. Carter tops this off with his portrayal of the small-town villain, juxtaposed brilliantly with his second role as a nerdy, unsuspecting customer later in the show. The cast work well within the small stage, to maximise a few surprisingly action-packed scenes, while still keeping the approach intimate and enticing.
This is a fun, film noir, that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet still delivers a juicy little story that has the audience hooked.
Runs until 14th October 2024
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