"The entrance of middle sister Meg (Isla Iago) gave it a much needed lift, not only because her character had the best lines"BENEDICT FLETT

Set in the mid-twentieth century in a generic Mississippi town, Crimes of the Heart tells the story of three sisters reunited and forced to confront uncomfortable truths: their grandfather’s illness, the eldest sister Lenny’s thirtieth birthday, the death of their childhood horse, and the fact that the youngest, Babe, has just shot (but avoided killing) her husband. 

Billed as a black comedy, Crimes of the Heart was lighter than I was expecting (as the friend who accompanied me said, “if it were chocolate, it would be Lindt 60%"). It treads the fine line of flitting between the serious (suicide, infertility and mental breakdowns among them), the touching (the relationship between the sisters is a really nice display of familial love) and the hilarious. The humour is gently biting, and the script is genuinely sparkling with wit. 

“If it were chocolate, it would be Lindt 60%”

In general, the production looked very good. The set (a kitchen) was simple, yet crowded enough to give the impression that it was used frequently. I especially liked the pile of rubbish on the table that grew and grew as the play went on, a messy touch that felt quite homely. The costumes were also effective – again, nothing too spectacular, but simple enough to immediately convey the ’50s setting.

The acting, however, was a little touch and go. The Southern Belle accents (which are really tricky to do) more often than not sounded quite strange: nearly right though not right enough to carry the illusion. This became quite distracting, especially nearing the end when even the stronger actors started to lose the accent a little. In the case of Ellie Cole (playing the snooty cousin Chick), this was a particular shame: while her facial expressions and mannerisms were deadpan and tonally perfect, she clearly struggled with the accent, which ended up drawing attention away from her lines. 

In general, the acting seemed to have been directed in a rather loud and giddy way, and the actors seemed encouraged to jump and shout their way across the stage when often something more understated would have been better. I must admit that I was uncertain about the play until the entrance of middle sister Meg (Isla Iago), whose presence gave it a much needed lift, not only because her character had the best lines, but also because Iago herself embodied the character extremely naturally and competently.

Josh McClure as Barnette (Babe’s lawyer) also put in a very enjoyable performance, and indeed, one of the best scenes was his first, in which he and Meg discuss his plan for organising Babe’s defence. 

Crimes of the Heart passes competently and confidently”

I did had reservations about the play to begin with, but due to the strength of the script and performances that grew on me as it went on, these were mostly ironed out. By the end, I wanted to spend more time with these characters and find out more about their lives. Many questions are posed, but few answered by this play. That, ultimately, is the best test of whether a play works — and Crimes of the Heart passes competently and confidently