M Kilburg Reedy’s new play – adapting Josephine Fey’s much adored book The Daughter of Time has officially debuted at Charing Cross Theatre.
A quintessentially 1940’s crime novel – the story follows detective Alan Grant as he strives to unravel a historical cold case of Richard III.
The novel is a perfect balance of crime mystery and historical fact-checking – delving into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Richard III’s nephews. The book, despite being very of its time, has remained a fan favourite, and Kilburg Reedy’s adaptation for the stage hopes to breathe new life into the story.
We meet our protagonist Alan Grant whilst he is bedridden in hospital following surgery on a leg injury. Riddled with boredom, when his love interest Marta Hallard brings him in some photographs to look at in his immobile state. One of which being a portrait of Richard III, immediately piquing interest in Grant and setting the tone for the story’s investigation.
The book’s success is down to it allowing space for the reader’s imagination to unravel the plot and its characters. Sadly Kilburg Reedy’s script lacks pace and room for imagination in the same way.
Coming in just short of 2 hours 20 minutes, it feels very static and wordy – there’s a great deal of dialogue and not much room for anything else. It struggles to pick up pace, and much of Act One feels drawn out but with very little progression to the storyline.
What hoped to be a similar experience as that received from reading the book, unfortunately felt overly long and a lot of minor plot points from the book have been kept for not much gain.
Jenny Eastop’s direction is well considered – it carries the book well and allows us to enjoy little humorous moments with each of the characters, although some of the lines feel a little forced, which feels a problem from the book and not with the direction or actor.
The set and costume designs by Bob Sterrett embody the era well and scene changes are very sleek. The scenery allows some interest and imagination for the audience, which is a welcome addition, and really draws you into the story.
Married with Oliver McNally’s lighting, the stage is rather beautiful. With the majority of the story taking place in Grant’s hospital room, McNally has wonderfully captured the changing seasons and hours of the day with the lighting. From bright morning glow, through to deep eerie wintery nights – the stage is enveloped in cleverly designed hues.
There are some excellent performances throughout; Rachel Pickup dazzles as the London stage siren Marta Hallard, and her companionship with her Shakespearean confidant Nigel Templeton (Noah Huntley) is a lovely and harmonious performance. Harrison Sharpe is a welcome addition to the cast as the eccentric American researcher Brent Carradine. His energy lifts the tempo of the play and brings some colour to the story.
There is no doubt that The Daughter of Time is a classic story, however this adaptation seems to just miss the mark, not quite capturing the stage as hoped. If more allowance for imagination could be involved, the show could receive greater success, but its current form just feels slightly stagnant and rigid.
Hopefully this is a strong starting block for the play, and we can hope for a revised adaptation at some stage – as the story is no doubt engaging and leaves the audience curious to discover more.
★★
Reviewed by Annie King
