DON’T LOOK NOW

Adapted by Nell Leyshon

The Lyceum Theatre Sheffield, 22 Feb – 10 Mar

Review by Paul Tyree, www.paultyree.co.uk

Sheffield Theatres’ new production of ‘Don’t Look Now’ is perhaps as good an adaptation as you’re likely to see of Daphne Du Maurier’s short story. That isn’t to say, however, that it is entirely successful.

The stagecraft is first class and Mike Britton the designer and Chris Davey the lighting designer should really be congratulated for such an atmospheric and imaginative staging of the piece. The sound design is also excellent and adds a real dimension of unease, without which a lot of the play could have fallen flat.

Similarly the acting is of the highest standard and Simon Paisley Day especially is a very sympathetic and believable protagonist.

Why then was I left feeling vaguely unsatisfied by this piece?

Firstly, and it has to be said, if you have seen Nicholas Roeg’s film version then this play is going to suffer by comparison. Whilst the film expanded and added themes that were truly cinematic, here we have a play that has stuck very closely to the spirit of the original short story. Whilst that is admirable it is also very apparent that the story is perhaps too thin to sustain a piece of this length.

Secondly, and I think more importantly, the script is very one dimensional and you have no real sense of character. Again, whilst the actors are excellent I never once got the feeling that these people had ever had a child, never mind lost one. The main character of John is essentially a one dimensional throw back of the raj, his wife Laura as dull as dishwater and the two sisters who can see the ghost of the dead child as thinly written as I’ve ever seen. That isn’t to say that the actors don’t do well, they do and it is to their testament that the piece is still sufficiently engaging as to justify a trip to the theatre, but ironically enough it is the quality of the writing that lets this piece down and for that Daphne Du Maurier will be spinning in her grave.