Runs until Saturday THIS complex morality tale is a favourite with amateur dramatic societies and is a play often abused.
But this is a production with which JB Priestley, who penned the masterly classic, would be well pleased.
And the strength of the overall performance was made even more impressive by the fact that Michael Rodgers stepped in at the last minute to replace Owen Riley as Arthur Birling.
We were warned that Rodgers did not have time to learn the role, but he coped admirably, delivering a stirling performance despite having to read the part throughout.
The play tells the story of a nouveau riche family celebrating the engagement of their daughter some time in 1912 with confidence and optimism, smugly believing that human beings must make their own way in society, oblivious to the disasters and turmoil to come.
Their celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious police inspector investigating the suicide of a young girl and as her story unfolds, each member of the family confesses to playing some part in her downfall.
Howard Clare is excellent as the Inspector, skilfully underplaying his role as society's moral conscience and Mary Riley also excels as the hard-faced mother refusing to accept her part in the tragedy.
Michael Talbot is also superb as the sad and pathetic Eric and Valerie Caswell's Sheila provides just the right level of hysteria without going over the top.
Mr Priestley can rest easy in his grave. Dave Toomer
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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