Hasland Theatre Company’s Ravencroft -15th September 2025, The Playhouse, Chesterfield
Review by Nicola Bourne.
Having never seen one of Don Nigro’s plays before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from last night’s production of Ravenscroft. One of a series of seven plays, featuring the Inspector Ruffing character, this psychological thriller appears to parody the “locked room mystery” style of Agatha Christie and will, undoubtedly, appeal to fans of this quintessential British murder-mystery genre. Full of the twists and turns that you’d normally expect, that is probably where the similarity ends though. This play is better described as a dark comedy, where you are both disturbed and amused in equal measure. I certainly don’t remember ever laughing at an Agatha Christie scene, but there were plenty of laughs to be had watching this show!
The play takes place at a remote English country estate, on a snowy December night in 1905. Inspector Ruffing responds to the suspicious death of handyman, Patrick Roarke, his body discovered on the main staircase of the manor house. His investigations lead him to dissect the lives of the five women there: Mrs Ravenscroft, the flirty lady of the manor; her likeable but possibly insane daughter, Gillian; Marcy, the attractive Viennese governess with a questionable past; Dolly, the terrified maid and Mrs French, the formidable cook. They all appear to protect each other’s secrets and provide contradictory accounts of not only Mr Roarke’s death, but also that of the late Mr Ravenscroft. Each enquiry seems to generate more questions than answers and, eventually, the Inspector’s own tortured soul is also revealed.
Director, Tom Bannister, has encouraged a production of Ravenscroft, seemingly very much in keeping with the original version. Andy Aldred and Bannister’s simple set design reflects Don Nigro’s simple vision for the play, but still perfectly showcases the grand staircase and crime scene. The staircase was moodily lit throughout the play and each character was seated in darkness, in the background: the lighting only settling on them, as they entered the Inspector’s consciousness. Nicky Beards Edwardian costumes were thoughtfully chosen and directed you not only to the individual character’s status, but also to their individual personalities: Mrs Ravenscroft’s glamorous attire, in particular, showcased not only her superiority, but also her saucy side!
The heavy lifting for this production, though, was undoubtedly on the shoulders of the small cast, and especially on those of Nathan McNicholas, as Inspector Ruffing, who was in every scene. All characters deserve a mention, though, as it would be impossible to talk about one or two of them, without talking about them all, as a great ensemble.
Starting as a composed and focused interrogator, the Inspector’s descent into desperation was completely believable, considering the five women around him seemed to be almost playing with him. You shared his frustrations and Nathan’s drunken scenes were especially well done. I particularly liked the change in his character as he lost control of himself and the situation!
Mrs Ravenscroft (Becky Shaw), was good at playing aloof and superior, maintaining a good upper class accent with her character’s nonchalance and “nothing to see here” attitude. I enjoyed when her polite “lady of the house” façade dropped, though, and we got to see her physical comedy: a flirty wiggle here and there, or some naughty innuendo!
Annie Phillips was an ideal choice for playing her daughter, Gillian. She was both childlike but menacing and you were left wondering whether she was innocently reporting events as she perceived them, or whether she knew exactly what she was doing. Either way, her inappropriateness was very entertaining to watch, and you could imagine her character being capable of anything!
Rachel Smith, played the governess, Marcy, in a suitably guarded and defensive way, when you consider her desire was to keep not only her job, but also her personal affairs secret. She certainly pulled off a decent Viennese accent and maintained it throughout.
Lucy Pledge was brilliantly cast as Dolly, as she was a very good comedy actress. Her accent and ditziness were good for getting numerous laughs from the audience and to be fair, she did have some of the funniest lines.
Last, but not least, Mrs French was played perfectly by Sarah Breen. I don’t know if it’s because she reminded me of my “no nonsense” grandma, or whether I identified with the character’s local accent, but I absolutely loved this character. Her physicality was great in the fighting scene, and her acting experience definitely shone through!
Hasland Theatre Company have created another successful production, with Ravenscroft. It was full of laughs and I found myself always engrossed in the play, despite it being merely a series of interviews. It’s inevitable that you will be listening to the evidence as you go and attempting to solve the case yourself. Just don’t expect to predict this one! There are too many conflicting versions and too many changing narratives, and the conclusion is far more bizarre than the crime itself! Your best bet is just to sit back and watch the story unfold! Oh, and don’t expect to leave with any sense of finality, when the “truth” is finally announced.