Bedlam Theatre
21 Oct

* * * * *

It is always intriguing to see what a theatre company can achieve in a short show – cue EUTC’s latest lunchtime offering, Timothy, at only forty-five minutes long.

The table and three chairs are the only things on a black stage except a bare hanging light-bulb.  The lights go down and Alex Cory enters - the exact opposite of her friend - dressed in light colours and positively bouncing.

Neither know why they are there until their friend Annette arrives and reveals that her husband, the eponymous Timothy, intends to murder her.

Created by Michael Milne and David K. Barnes, Timothy daringly combines philosophical thought with a slightly-backwards murder mystery.      

Chadha and Cory are drawn slowly into Annette’s world - one threatened by logical insanity and poisoned cocoa.

Viewers of this show may have noticed the uncannily French and Saunders-esque dynamic between Chadha and Cory.

The juxtaposition of two such utterly opposing characters, both in manner and dress, works perfectly throughout the play, making a particular impression in the opening scene, when all they seem to have in common is the table they sit at.

Kate Roberts gives a compelling and disturbing performance as the increasingly paranoid Annette; her body language, manner and even eyes giving an impression of being just slightly unhinged.      

Neville Billimoria’s performance as Timothy also deserves note, creating a lasting impression on the audience despite his brief appearance on stage.

Throughout the play it must be admitted that there are moments when conversations become perplexing, occasionally moving close to nonsense – but, as becomes obvious, this confusion is deliberate and ultimately intrinsic to the story.

The magic of this play is the fact that, though wonderfully simple language is used throughout, it somehow succeeds in creating intellectual and consistently witty dialogue – a goal many writers never achieve though they may utilise the whole dictionary. 

Despite the skill evident in the writing, this approach would have failed miserably without a very talented team of actors – which luckily this production had plenty of.   

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