Keighley Playhouse: The Edge of Darkness

It was apparent from the moment the curtains opened that this was a production with a bit of class.

Applause greeted the sight of a richly-decorated Victorian sitting room complete with piano, staircase and flaming fire.

There were performances to match, the cast's accents, movements and expressions meshing neatly with their period costumes.

With director Michael Kennedy they perfectly captured the time of the play, as well as the air of menace generated by John Clemens' script.

We were in the home of a couple, well-to-do but not rich, whose 24-year-old daughter disappeared three years before.

They had just returned from Ireland where they found their daughter in a convent with no memory of her past.

The family was in a new house on an isolated stretch of coastline, with new servants, making a fresh start as it rebuilds relationships.

Questions arose in the audience's minds within a few minutes, and they came thick and fast as the writer deluged us with information, clues and twists.

Were the couple real? Or was their daughter the imposter? Why did she hate the uncle in the picture over the bureau?

Was the maid as dizzy as she appears? Was the handyman as sinister as he appears? Did anyone have an innocent motive?

That would be telling, and I'm not going to tell. But I will say that it's very entertaining finding out for yourself.

Best of a strong cast was George Pickles, a Bingley Amateurs veteran but a Keighley Playhouse virgin, flawless and utterly credible as the father. Keighley Amateurs panto and musicals star Rachel McMahon was very strong as Penny the maid, giving depth to a role that is mostly there for comic relief.

Alison Broadley was also very good as the daughter, slowly coming to life but still plagued by shadowy memories.

Janet Hardman didn't have much to say, her performance as the repressed mother more about expression than speech, but she was excellent nevertheless.

Tim Lobley clearly enjoyed himself as the handyman with attitude, and Mark Rundle was entertaining in a smaller part.

The Edge of Darkness could easily have been a melodrama, spoiled by tongue-in-cheek performances, but in the Playhouse's hands we have a gripping and believable mystery.

Tonight and tomorrow, 7.30pm, phone 01535 604764.

DAVID KNIGHTS