Jack - A Nightmare in Whitechapel
Written by David Wrightam
Class Act Productions
6 - 7 July 2023
In law the term used was " a common prostitute", in life there is no such thing. They were and are women. Living, breathing women with families and lives beyond their notoriety, dismissed too readily as victims, and rarely as real women whose misfortune in life led to their ultimate demise. Whenever I see the tale of Jack the Ripper recounted, I always tell myself that this is not " a play", instead this is an interpretation of actual facts given a dramatic spin with some necessary license. In her fabulously detailed book The Five, Haillie Rubenhold delves deep into the lives of each of the Ripper's victims and reminds the reader to accord them the courtesy of recognising the women and not the psychotic killer as the heart of the story and I recommend her book to those interested in this notorious tale. This is something David Wrightam seeks to do in this play and he manages to achieve that goal.
Amanda Pearce directs this most challenging of Class Act's repertoire and provides an opportunity for the young cast to really rise to the challenge, and to call upon all their acting skills to impressive effect. As with all of Class Act's work, the production is dual cast to provide as many opportunities as possible to the widest range of their students. I attended a dress rehearsal and saw the cast that will appear on Friday 7th. I have no doubt that the cast on opening night will provide an equally impressive ensemble knowing the work of many members in other productions.
The tale is dark and mysterious and the mood is well set from the outset as Georgia Scott's panicked and vulnerable, Mary Ann Nicholls runs screaming into the auditorium only to find herself butchered in the dark, smoke-filled London street. The second murder, of Annie Chapman is witnessed at a distance by a gang of orphans led by a brutal Fagin-like character named Jagger, powerfully portrayed by Charlie Walker.
However, it is within the mortuary at Scotland Yard that the story really begins. Inspector Abeline, an upright aspiring young detective, played by Ben Townsend, is consulting with Reece Stark's Dr Bond and Constable Dew played by Cameron Bonner. It is Townsend's conflicted Aberline that provides something of a moral compass and a spark of decency in the cesspool of old London.
The tale is a twisted one; who is the mysterious bogeyman whose enduring menace causes blind panic and fear among the orphans and the women of ill-repute? Everyone is at a loss to unveil the identity of the killer and many theories are proposed, though Wrightam chooses not to hedge his bets as to the true identity of the serial killer.
There are many mature performances which stand out in this very large cast, Will Smith as Chief Inspector Warren, Jade Pike as Catherine Eddowes provides a very rounded portrayal of a prostitute as a real woman, so too does Lottie Lister as Elizabeth Stride and in a smaller but no less important role as Julia, Isabel Hibbard. It is the final victim, Mary Kelly, played with real conviction by Izzy Forman who is given the chance to really develop her story as the narrative continues and we learn of a potential link between victims and a possible motive for the killings, which I shall not reveal here.
It feels unfair not to mention every cast member to one degree or another in this review because the on-stage discipline of the ensemble is excellent and each individual actor sustains a credible character and remains animated and motivated throughout their performances. They all succeed in making a real impression on their audience and allow the focus to remain where it should despite the sheer number of performers on stage in some scenes.
Supporting roles from Emily Eastwood, Poppy Webb-Jones Charlie Ann Donoghue and Abby Reece all provide colour and intrigue as they help to contextualise the story. Lastly, as the Royal Surgeon Sir William Gull, Rick Kirwin provides an effective cameo as the urbane medic.
This show only runs for two nights, so we advise that if you haven't got a ticket you contact Cleethorpes Parkway asap so that you don't miss out on this engaging, thriller with copious amounts of blood, gore and saucy women of the night.
All photography copyright Andy Evans 2023.
Further galleries from this production can be found by following these links:
All cast and crew of Class Act Productions' "Jack" have permission to download and use photos without need for a photo credit. All others must seek permission to use Andy Evans' photography.
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