Haunted:
‘Haunted’ is a psychological, supernatural, erotic thriller, with comedy.
World Premiere Presented by Ian Dickens Productions International Ltd on
28th February 2012 at Lincoln Theatre Royal.
Produced and Directed by Ian Dickens
Cast:
PETER AMORYWW Paul PengellyWW
JOANNE HEYWOODiWWWWW Susan PengellyiiWWW
NICOLA WEEKS Melanie Tremayne
NICK RICKETTS Richard Tremayne
Currently Touring;
Lyceum Theatre, Crewe - 6th to 10th March
Grand Theatre, Swansea - 27th to 31st March
The Harlow Playhouse - 25th to 28th April
Connaught Theatre, Worthing - 15th to 19th May
The action takes place in the bedroom of Melanie Tremayne’s flat.
Time: The Present.
Author’s Note:
The supernatural ‘effects’ in the play ideally would be proper ‘stage illusions’.
If for whatever reason this is not practical, all the effects can be successfully achieved
with a combination of lighting effects, sleight of hand and misdirection.
SYNOPSIS
‘Haunted’, a psychological, supernatural, erotic thriller, with comedy,
is a nightmare journey through the mind of a double murderer, who has twice been found ‘not guilty’.
The only way now for justice to be done is for the guilty party to confess to both murders.
But how to make him confess?
Take delight in the ‘roasting of the cad’, as his two ‘avengers’ also explore the intriguing question,
‘do romantic relationships develop after death?’
REVIEW
Posted on Saturday, March 3, 2012 by Staff Reporter in Arts
- Hannah Gilbey contributed with this report
How far would you go to fight your own conscience?
Haunted delves into the mind of a double murderer in denial using comedy, thrills and the supernatural. The play has just finished the Lincoln leg of its tour after being shown on the February 28th and 29th at the Theatre Royal.
Paul (Peter Amory) has just moved into his love nest with childhood sweetheart Melanie (Nicola Weeks). He has been found “not guilty” of murder twice, and is ready to start a new life. Only, he has to leave behind furious ex-wife Susan (Joanne Heywood) and secrets so dark he won’t even admit them to himself.
The phrase ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ certainly fits the bill here. Ex-wife Susan is fiery and provocative. Her character starts off by using lust as a weapon for bittersweet revenge, and it is interesting to watch the changing relationship between them.
Paul remains in denial, as he frantically tries to block out the past and carry on with his life. When his cousin appears (literally) out of nowhere to help, Paul is taken on a journey into the very depths of his own mind.
Can you ever make a killer confess?
For Peter, playing the lead in Haunted is a world away from Emmerdale: “It’s miles apart. He had his problems, did Chris Tate in Emmerdale, but he’s not a psychotic nightmare like this guy is. Paul is a psychiatric case really!”
Whilst the play is surprisingly racy at times, being strictly for over 14’s, there was still a sense of humour. One-liners and snide comments got quite a few chuckles from the audience. The optical illusions also scattered throughout certainly made the show a little bit different.
As the play continued, it becomes darker and grittier. Haunted forces you to unravel each character, as Paul’s mind is twisted and manipulated by his ex-wife and cousin.
Peter explains: “The thing about doing something that’s brand new, is that you don’t know whether you’re doing it right or wrong. The writer of Haunted, Ron Aldridge, came to watch on the first night. He loved it, so I guess we got it right! It’s quite a difficult piece. It’s not normal theatre but it’s great fun to do!”
And for anyone who is unsure about seeing something a bit different from the stalls: “Theatre is for everyone. Go and see it, you’ll enjoy it. Go with an open mind!” he said.
Haunted, from Ian Dickens Productions, is continuing its theatre tour until the 19th of May.
REVIEW
“Haunted” at the Lyceum in Crewe
Can anyone really get away with murder?
‘Haunted’, a new play written by Ron Aldridge, examines the consequences of love,
betrayal and untimely death, writes Claire Faulkner.
The wonderfully written script entwined with a supernatural theme drew the audience in, and the twists and cliff hangers left everyone at The Lyceum wanting more when the interval arrived.
Clever use of lighting emphasised the tension, troubles and turns of the four characters.
The cast, Peter Amory, Joanne Heywood, Nicola Weeks and Nick Ricketts,
were simply superb, and worked well together.
Peter Amory, played ‘Paul’, a troubled man, who through love started a sequence of events
which in turn lead him into a dark corner of his own subconscious.
I found myself completely hooked watching this production, from the opening argument
between husband and wife right through to the end.
From listening to reactions to other members of the audience, I know I wasn’t alone.
I heard at least one person say they would come back to watch it again this week.
If you like psychological thrillers, stories of love and suspense, you’ll really enjoy this.
REVIEW
Connaught Theatre, Worthing
Wednesday 16th May 2012
Sink into the mind – and conscience – of a double murderer at the Connaught Theatre this week, where Ron Aldridge’s new play, Haunted, is being staged until Saturday.
It’s billed as an erotic thriller, and they weren’t kidding! It was so raunchy, I was going red sitting on my own.
But it was very funny too, with the saucy action fitting naturally into the plot and played out convincingly by the four-strong cast.
Joanne Heywood and Nick Ricketts may have been playing spectres but there was nothing thin and wispy about their performances – in fact Joanne was the most solid of the lot, as wronged wife Susan Pengelly, determined to get revenge on her murderer husband Paul (Peter Amory).
The action is continuous and takes place in the bedroom of Paul’s lover Melanie (Nicola Weeks).
It all flows well and has everything from belly laughs to true terror, with a bit of psychological drama thrown in
This is something quite different, so go with an open mind and be prepared for a rollercoaster journey as the play gets darker and more tense as it heads to its conclusion.
Elaine Hammond
Worthing Herald.
REVIEW
Connaught Theatre, Worthing
Wednesday
16th May 2012
‘A Deliciously Dark Erotic Thriller’
For many centuries ghosts have long proved a fascination for theatre audiences,
be it spine-chillers, prophetic, comedy or dark psychological drama. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote “Murder will out” way back in the 14th century and playwright Ron Aldridge has used the same concept in his latest work ‘Haunted’.
The play promises a journey through the mind of a double-murderer. The racy plot sees Paul Pengelly about to embark on a shared life with his childhood sweetheart, the obstacles of his estranged cousin and wife of 12 years having been removed!
However, despite having twice been found ‘not guilty’ of murder, his bitter ex-wife and truth-hungry cousin conspire to force a confession from his troubled mind, tormenting his subconscious thoughts.
The lilac set is cleverly lit to emphasise the building tension as the murderer teeters on the brink of psychological meltdown. Peter Amory takes the role of the double murderer Paul Pengelly, haunted by his dark secrets of denial and he gives a convincing performance of the complex disturbing psyche of this character.
Joanne Heywood (Susan Pengelly) provides a beautifully sustained portrayal of the unashamedly sensual embittered wife, while Nicola Weeks (Melanie Tremayne) plays the childhood sweetheart, superbly shifting between innocence, vulnerability and genuine fear. Nick Ricketts completes this strong line-up as the estranged cousin Richard Tremayne, joining forces with Pengelly’s seething wife to accelerate a conviction
for the freak accidents to the two victims.
An excellent production of this supernatural spine-chilling drama.
Jill Lawrie
Internet Remotegoat