Oliver Mosley (left) makes his acting debut alongside Alasdair McNab (right)Alice Walker

“You fully understand, Brandon, what we’ve done?”

“Do I know what I’ve done? ...Yes. I know quite well what I’ve done. I have done murder.”

And so this chilling piece begins as Brandon (Oliver Mosley) menacingly recounts to an uneasy Granillo (Alasdair Mcnab) their murder of a fellow undergraduate. Mosley’s display of twisted exhilaration will have you on edge right from the outset.

The macabre continues as dinner party guests, including the victim’s father (Pete Skidmore) arrive to dine unknowingly from the chest in which the corpse is contained. The script goes on to cleverly juxtapose the tension with some much needed humorous relief which was generally performed well by the cast, however there were a few earlier gags that were a bit lost; though this is more than likely due to first night nerves.  The amusing infatuation of Kenneth Raglan (Kyle Turakhia) is set off beautifully by Ben Walsh’s sharp delivery of his elderly character, Rupert Cadell’s wit and sarcasm and produced many laughs from the audience. However the undertones of tension are never far away due to the constant presence and mention of the chest onstage. While this successfully creates an unsettling atmosphere, the repeated joke of Brandon having a body in the chest does begin to become tiresome, however this is the only fault I can criticise in a script so brilliant it inspired Alfred Hitchcock to direct his own version.   

Ben Walsh’s switch between coolness and melancholy in the final act is perfectly timed, heightening tensions to the point where you feel Brandon and Granillo might just get away with it, until Walsh’s explosive exposure of the corpse descends the scene into chaos. Mosley’s portrayal is skin-crawlingly repulsive in this final scene as a stand off occurs between his character and Walsh’s. A mistake I feel the production made was to have McNab’s character, Granillo wailing as his loss of composure in the background as it detracts from the tension of the scene.  Luckily the conscience of Walsh’s character, induced by his horror, reigns and brings a shattering and relieving resolution to the piece.

A masterful macabre piece which is thoroughly entertaining, while posing questions about murder, justice and logic.  Rope is certain to make you feel tension, repulsion and laughter, truly living up to its claim to keep you on ‘tenterhooks’.