All Style, Less Substance: Double Indemnity Looks the Part but Loses Its Nerve

Rating: * * * 

This is a difficult review for me as having read and devoured James M Cain’s original 1943 novel plus, enjoyed Billy Wilder’s famous 1944 film, Noir, I found myself inquisitive to see how this play would transfer to the theatre that would capture and engage the audience. In theory, it should have been easy as it is a simple plot. A classical tale of love, betrayal, deception and greed with the predictable ‘fly in the ointment’ of a person ‘hell-bent’ on trying to figure out flaws in the tale and prove something untoward had gone on. For the most part, it was entertaining, however there were a few elements that I found ‘grating’. I also got to a point (sadly,) during both acts that I found my mind wandering and hoping the play would come to an end. This disappointment seemed to reverberate around the theatre as many negative comments could be heard upon exciting both the auditorium and foyer. Further reinforced by a very telling lack of a standing ovation –  on press/guest night – at the end play.  As the actors were taking their bow, many patrons were already putting on coats and exiting.

Tom Holloway’s adaptation for the stage relied heavily on the original novel rather than Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler’s screenplay  – which most people will be familiar with – throughout except for a complete change of ending. Was this brave? It was a stage adaptation after all and you expect creative licence.  Personally, I think this was a costly mistake, especially as Holloway and Director Oscar Toeman, had the central character Walter Huff narrate his own demise. His dialogue and narration involved asking the audience a series of questions at points which left you feeling a tad patronised.  Such as: ‘You’re intelligent, do you know what’s going on?’ There were also two questionable decisions, firstly, why deliberately avoid highlighting the book’s heightened sexual chemistry between the femme fatale Philysis Nirdlinger (Mischa Barton) and Walter Huff (Ciaran Owens ) especially when this was central to the plot and why the crime had been committed in the first instance.  Secondly, the ending was so abrupt that you were unsure if the play had concluded or there was going to be another scene as not all ends were tied -up.  This seemed like a deliberate oversight rather than a creative suggestion.

Synopsis:

A story inspired by a 1927 real-life murder trial that Cain attended when he was a journalist. It is the story of an insurance salesman (Walter Huff) seduced by a femme fatale (Phyllis Nirdlinger) into murdering her husband for insurance money. They plot to trigger a policy’s ‘double indemnity’ clause for a $50,000 payout by making out his death was due to accidentally falling from a train. The cigar-smoking Barton Keyes is a shrewd claims investigator who has seen it all and doggedly won’t accept it was an accident.

Cast:

Mischa Barton – Phyllis Nirdlinger

Ciarán Owens – Walter Huff

Martin Marquez – Keyes

Gillian Saker – Nettie / Waitress / Usher

Joseph Langdon – Mr Norton / Nino / Joe Pete

Oliver Ryan – Mr Nirdlinger / Jack Christholf / Jackson

Sophia Roberts – Lola Nirdlinger

Ensemble – Estelle Cousins, Simon Victor, Patrick Fleming

Creatives:

Book – James M. Cain

Adaptation for the stage – Tom Holloway

Director – Oscar Toeman

Set and Costume designer – Ti Green

Lighting designer – Josh Gadsby

Sound designer and Composer – Dan Balfour

Additional Composition – Zac Gvi

Movement director – Chi-San Howard

Fight and Intimacy director – Enric Ortuño

Voice and Dialect coach – Aundrea Fudge

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan