"Fatal Attraction"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

The stage play is based on the 1987 film of the same name and centres on the happily marries attorney Dan Gallagher (Oliver Farnworth) and his meeting with editor Alex Forrest (Kym Marsh) on a night out in the city. One thing leads to another and they spend a night of passion together. Thinking that this was just a one-night stand for Dan, he returns home to his loving wife Beth (Emma Laird Craig). But Alex has other ideas that Dan soon discovers, which put his family in grave danger!

I can remember the film vividly and for me the play fell short of the thrilling cat and mouse between Alex and Dan. To move the story on Dan also acts as narrator, which dilutes some of the "edge of the seat" experience of the play. It's like he is stepping out of the tortured Dan part to let us know what is going on, and then returning to the part.

The set and costume design by Morgan Large is very good with minimal props to show the different settings. i.e. the sofa for the Gallagher's apartment, the bar for the club scene, the bed for Alex's apartment, all rolled on and off easily and unobtrusively. The back projection, by Mogzi, though is brilliant and gives depth for the various scenes.

I am a big fan of the gorgeous Kym Marsh but I just felt that there could be more chemistry between Kym's Alex and Oliver's Dan; it all seemed just a wee bit emotionless, even in the passion scenes. Likewise with the scenes between Dan and Susie's Beth. When Beth was being told by Dan that he knew who was behind everything, it seemed as if she had skipped some of the script and went straight from knowing nothing of the one/two night stand to straight away knowing that Dan was the father of Alex's child. Even the "anger" scenes between Beth and Dan all seemed just a tad reserved, given the news that she had just been given.

Paul Englishby's music throughout created the menace required and, with Jack Knowles' Lighting Design and Carolyn Downing's Sound Design, this is where the feeling of uneasiness arose.

You'll find though that the ending of this particular re-telling of the story is different to the film ending but keeps to the original James Dearden script, and not the movie ending. There are also notable scenes not played out on stage that were in the movie, but this is after all a play and can't possibly transfer every cinematic scene to a theatre audience.

What I felt could also have created worry, and also demonstrated Alex's unhinged disposition, was if a real rabbit were used when introduced as a pet so that the audience could see a "live" rabbit, obviously not when the bunny was boiled, but a "stage" rabbit could have been shown within the boiling pot. I can confirm that no real bunnies were harmed in the presentation of this performance!

I did however appreciate the use of the fake blood from when Alex slit her wrists to make Dan stay, and near the end of the play. On several occasions I have seen the presence of "blood" omitted where the characters on stage are killed, or injured, maybe it is just my blood lust, who knows?

To sum "Fatal Attraction" up, the story is there but it just lacked a certain commitment, chemistry and passion for me. In some ways it was like watching a rehearsed performance with maybe not the full 100% given. Possibly, if the Director asks for more passion and chemistry is developed between the main characters, by the end of the run, this play will be the nervy, edge of the seat thriller I had hoped for. And having seen Oliver and Kym in various TV dramas, I know what wonderful actors they both are; actors who know how to deliver passionate performances.

"Fatal Attraction" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 19 February.