The Mysterious Mr Love At Theatre Royal Nottingham Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Louise Edwards
This week sees the final play in the Colin McIntyre Thriller season at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. The Mysterious Mr Love, written by Karoline Leach is set in London in 1914.
The stage is set like a Milliner’s shop with mannequin heads holding hats. The lighting and props have an air of intrigue, and interestingly, the two main actors have also been responsible for designing the lighting and stage. Sarah Wynne Kordas (who also plays the heroine of the play) captures the era with the stage design, and John Goodrum (who plays the main protagonist) uses lighting to echo the shadowy depths and create the atmosphere and mood of Edwardian London.
The play is directed by Karen Henson, who also directed last week’s play Veronica’s Room. I love how these plays are very much a family affair.
We are introduced to George, aka Mr Love, played by Goodrum. George is a self-confessed love rat. He charms women, marries them, and then takes all their money and flees, leaving them penniless and heartbroken. He owes his landlady the rent and is ducking and diving through life looking for his next unsuspecting victim. What could have made him into such an evil character and master manipulator?
Adelaide, played by Wynne Kordas, works in the milliner’s shop making hats in the back room. With a strikingly pretty face she is dressed in dowdy brown and lacks self-esteem and confidence. She has inherited £50 from an aunt which she has safely stashed in the bank and dreams of visiting Venice and wearing nice clothes when the time is right. Deep down you know she is headstrong and perceptive but what is it that lurks in her past to make her so downtrodden?
Love has a talent for spotting women who are ripe for the picking. He sees Adelaide as she places a hat in the shop window and pounces! He charms her with lunch in a French restaurant off Oxford Street – he has a penchant for jumping out of toilet windows to avoid paying the bill – and she is putty in his hands when he suggests they run away together and get married (adding that she mustn’t forget the cheque!).
The acting throughout is superb and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as the intrigue builds. On the face it The Mysterious Mr Love is on the face of it more like a historical romance, than a thriller, but as the play unfolds it becomes a study of human nature and morality. There is a deep exploration into the characters and their motivations. Its timeless themes of deception and love make a gripping tale right until the very end.
The play runs for around two hours including a 20 minute interval.
Rating: 3.5/5
Tickets start at £18.50. On Stage until 31 August 2024, for more information or to book tickets visit https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/classic-thriller-season-the-mysterious-mr-love/or call the box office on 0115 989 5555
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham, NG1 5ND