It is widely regarded as one of the great examples of film noir but how will Double Indemnity fare on stage?
That was the question in the minds of many audience members as the play’s UK tour reached Manchester.
Wisely the production doesn’t try to just be ‘the film on stage’ and there are some strong performances, notably from Ciaran Owens as insurance salesman Walter Huff who sets out to commit the perfect murder.
But overall, the effect is more film gris than film noir; the dramatic twists more like gentle bends in the road.
At the heart of the story is the relationship between Walter Huff and the glamorous Phyllis Nirdlinger, played by O.C. star Mischa Barton making her UK stage debut.
Set just after the Great Depression, Walter’s at a crossroads. He’s disllusioned, dispirited and in all probability depressed.
Into his life comes Phyllis and he’s immediately captivated and they hatch a plan to murder her husband and ride off into the sunset.
Mischa Barton certainly looks the part and the period correct costumes give her the air of a Hollywood vamp.
But Phyllis is a complex character. She’s apperently in a loveless marriage and sees Walter as her way out. But behind the gloss, let’s be honest she’s a bit of a psycho.
She needs to be less one-paced as played on stage. Looks apart, it’s hard to believe Walter’s instant infatuation and that the plot to murder her husband comes together so quickly.
Then, in the second half when the real Phyllis comes to the fore, she’s not extreme enough - it’s all a bit too safe.
Ciaran Owens as Walter does most of the heavy lifting - and it’s a bit of a monster of a role, no pun intended.
The start of the play is engaging. Walter comes out and immediately talks directly to the audience. This breaking of the fourth wall is a repeated characteristic throughout as the audience effectively becomes his conscience as his life starts to unravel.
The show poses the interesting question - ‘if you knew you could get away with it, would you?’
For Walter, although he thinks he’s committed the perfect crime, as things start to go wrong he has to keep doubling down on his initial illegal act.
Ciaran Owens is at his best when he’s interacting with the audience and also with his boss Keyes played by Martin Marquez.
Keyes is old school and regards Walter almost like a son. His gruff tough love approach to management is geneuinely funnny at times and the pair spar to great effect.
Oliver Ryan as Mr Hirdlinger is suitably unpleasant and even a little creepy and you can perhaps understand why Phyllis would want to be without him.
Sophia Roberts as his daughter Sophia and Joseph Langdon as her boyfriend Nino are slightly confusing characters. Neither of them looks young enough for their respective roles and they are both slightly two-dimensional.
The staging is interesting but I’m not convinced it’s wholly effective. Huge letters synbolising the famous Hollywood sign can be seen in the background of what appears to be a large, industrial tunnel.
Strong stage lighting does add to the atmosphere at times but using cast members to wander around as random unspecified characters in the background is confusing rather than convincing.
The first half is too long and time does start to drag. It’s not helped with some long gaps in the narrative for scene changes, complete with a bleak industrial score. For some reason an electronic version of Pink Floyd’s Welcome to the Machine blasts out during one scene change.
The second half is sprightly by comparison and things certainly do pick up as the perfect murder plan is rumbled and Walter tries his best to avoid being caught.
Don’t get me wrong. Double Indemnity isn’t a bad production, it’s just not the production I’d hoped it would be.
Many in the audience loved it and it’s a decent enough tale reasonably well told.
But where was the true sense of jeopardy? Where was the real emotion?
Ideally you’d really feel for Walter and his self-inflicted woes; you should be shocked by the scheming Phyllis but I was just left feeling as though I didn’t really care about them.
It’s not the film on stage but it’s also not the stage play on stage I’d hoped it would be.
Double Indemnity is at the Opera House, Manchester, until Saturday. Details from www.atgtickets.com
