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REVIEW: Snake In The Grass @ The People's Theatre

Posted on April 13th 2017 by Whats on Northeast

Words: Jowita Krasik for Cuckoo Review

Snake in the Grass is a play about betrayal. A story of two sisters (Annabel and Miriam) reuniting after three decades to deal with the aftermath of their father’s death – or so it seems at first. As the story develops and truths are revealed, the intensity increases.

I came into the theatre with no expectations; I knew very little about the story and was therefore really excited to see it. After the first scene, I was a little sceptical. The dialogue was well written, the acting was good and the set fit very well, but it seemed a little ordinary. There was nothing particularly attention-grabbing. I also couldn’t figure out if that was the fault of the story, or the interpretation of it. At that point I was under the impression that this would be a story of two sisters coming together, helping each other with their issues.

It wasn’t until about half an hour in that the first plot twist came in. That is when the story stopped being simple. It became both tragic, twisted and at the same time had its comedic moments. The themes of abuse and betrayal made the play truly touching, although the amount of dramatic tension was a little too draining towards the end of the play.

In terms of the performance itself, I thought it was very memorable. A part of that was due to the play itself, but overall it was very well acted: the character portrayal was realistic and relatable. I especially liked Penny Lamport’s portrayal of Miriam. What was really memorable about it was the contrast of the character and her appearance; the actress looked so adorable and sweet at a first glance, you wouldn’t expect the cruelty of her character. It was strange: I both wanted to sympathise with and hate her.

In short, I think it is a play well worth seeing. It was touching, shocking, and relatable. The cast and production team did a very good job of interpreting the play and making it into a story worth watching.

This review originally appeared on Cuckoo Review, a site dedicating to developing the skills of young writers in partnership with venues across the North East. For more reviews from young writers, visit the Cuckoo Review website.

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