Weaving together three different storylines (Amy’s found another body in a hotel bedroom, there’s a smell coming from one of Jim’s storage units and Kate’s losing it after spending all day with the police) this award-winning drama traces backwards through each story to untangle what really happened.
It only lasted 90 minutes, but I was wrung out by the end of Harborough Theatre’s latest production. The tight and smart cast of seven led us through Breathing Corpses, cleverly drawing the audience into Laura Wade’s stress-loaded script, which starts at the end and progresses through the scenes that led to it.
In short, Jim, a storage firm manager, notices a bad smell coming from a box. The gruesome contents turn his mind and he ends up dying by suicide in a hotel.
Yasmin Luxford played maid Amy, who finds him. Her impressive interpretation was equally balanced with naivety and humour.
Tony Ruscoe championed the challenge as Jim, successfully delivering his descent into depression. Pam Cousins showed empathy with attention to every mannerism and word, as his gossipy wife, Elaine. Ben Lewis brought a lighter touch as Jim’s colleague, Ray.
The body in the box was Kate, played by Verity Davis – stressed by work, a heatwave, her partner’s dog and the discovery of a girl’s body in the park. Tension in scenes with partner Ben, was palpable. Connor Scott developed Ben’s character from calm until he finally ‘lost it’ and Kate ended up as the bad smell in the box.
The identity of the body in the park was unexplained, but I believe it was Amy, who falls for the charms of Charlie, a smooth-talking knife-salesman and hotel guest. Laurence Jackson was suitably creepy as he talked the ill-fated Amy into a date.
Congratulations to directors Paul Barrass and Alison Dawson on a professional and intriguing show.
— Edited from Gordon Birch’s review in the Harborough Mail
Amy – Yasmin Luxford
Jim – Tony Ruscoe
Elaine – Pam Cousins
Ray – Ben Lewis
Kate – Verity Davis
Ben – Connor Scott
Charlie – Laurence Jackson
Photography by Peter Crowe
Directed by Paul Barrass
This amateur production of Breathing Corpses is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk