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CORPSE! by Gerald Moon
Venue: Richmond 1987
Director: Gerald Moon



Cast
Evelyn / Rupert Colin Baker
Major Walter Powell Jack Watling
With Jean Reeve
Robert Meadwell
 

Review

Aficionados of Doctor Who  - and others - will not be disappointed with double doses of Colin Baker,  playing those redoubtable twins, stinking rich Rupert and out-of-work actor Evelyn.  Indeed, Baker, whenever he's on stage, which is most of the evening, fills it to capacity with his richly over the top performance, particularly as Evelyn. As Rupert he is amusingly, but as the seedy - and kinky actor, he is inspired.  So much so that one of the evening's greatest surprises - and the author Gerald Moon springs many of them upon us during the course of the play, is that after so much bustle and activity there is a cast of only four to take their curtain call.

We are urged not to reveal the plot of the play in order not to spoil the enjoyment of others, so suffice it  to say that Evelyn is convinced that if he hires a hitman to destroy Rupert, he can easily pass himself off as his brother.  The job falls to the hapless criminal and impostor, Major Walter Powell, a prize bungler impressively played by Jack Watling, and the results of Evelyn's expertise are that poor Powell ends up never being quite sure which twin hit the bullet. Nor is he helped by Evelyn's landlady’s (Jean Reeve) ability to put in an appearance when least wanted.

The play bubbles along merrily enough with its nice twists of plot under the author's pacy direction, and a special mention should be made of Alan Tagg’s set chez Rupert - terribly thirties, terribly Noël Coward.