Review: GASLIGHT, Richmond Theatre

Patrick Hamilton's Gaslight had its premiere at Richmond Theatre in 1938, so it seems suitable for it to end its UK tour in the same venue.

Set firmly in an era of Victorian melodrama, Bella Manningham is increasingly convinced that she is going mad. She loses jewellery and finds photo frames in the piano stool. Her husband Jack only seems to encourage this belief, systematically chipping away at her confidence and independence. One night, a mysterious visit from a detective reveals that the truth is very different. Bella is not going mad and her husband is certainly not who he claims to be.

Bella is very much under the power of her husband. Jack's references to her hysterics are rooted in the belief of the time that women lived entirely on their nerves. Those who rebelled against Victorian domesticity were risking being declared insane and the cornerstone of Victorian psychiatry claimed male dominance was therapeutic. Jack exploits this at every opportunity, calling Bella a 'good child' and taking away a cherished trip to the theatre when she does not behave as he wants.

What is remarkable about this play is the insight into emotional domestic abuse. Gaslight was written in 1938, and yet this abuse was only made punishable by a prison sentence in 2015 and entered further into the wider public consciousness through last year's famous The Archers storyline. Hamilton writes with enormous perception about the intricate working of a marriage where this intimate relationship can become a breeding ground for manipulation and control. By comparison, the narrative of murder and theft is almost irrelevant.

Kara Tointon, most recently seen as hotel singer Betsey in ITV's The Halcyon, is pale and wan as Bella. She manages to walk the very tricky tightrope of hysterical wife without falling into pastiche. There is a desperation in her performance that makes her very sympathetic, but there were moments when her husband's shouting made the audience jump but Tointon stays unmoved. This sits uneasily, as she plays a woman in fear of her husband and living on her nerves. Richmond is at the end of a long tour and so it may reflect overfamiliarity with the material.

Rupert Young, clean-shaven in the publicity shots, sports a full beard. This may be an effort to look older, as it seems unlikely that he is old enough to have abandoned another wife 20 years ago. There are points he relies more on sudden fits of shouting rather than quiet menace, but his physical manner lends itself well to the role. He towers over the diminutive Tointon in an imposing and brutish manner.

Keith Allen has a ball playing Detective Rough. The character is almost the original model of the traditionally clever, working-class detective, but Allen adds his own distinct twist. He cleverly maintains and helps to build the suspense of the story while creating some very funny moments. His interpretation of the script is clever, with intonation and emphasis that make the straightest lines into amusing ones. There is a touch of farce in his performance that provides welcome relief in this bleak play.

Howard Hudson's lighting is particularly effective, with atmospheric changes that add to the eerie drama of the piece. Ben and Max Ringham's sound design is less successful. It is often too blatant, rather than subtle enough to quietly creep up on you.

Suspense often works best with the things you do not see. There are a few shock moments, but it's welcome that the play does not rely on many of them, as it's the gradual but certain unease about what Manningham will do next that creates the most apprehension in the audience.

This is not a perfect production, but the portrayal of emotional abuse within a relationship is shocking, well-crafted and, unfortunately, as relevant as ever.

Gaslight is at Richmond Theatre until 11 March

Photo Credit: Manual Harlan

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