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The Talented Mr Ripley

Review

Talented tale of mingled brutality and fantasy

The nature of Tom Ripley is reflected in one line: ‘It’s more difficult to than you think to be truly untalented,’ he says.

Phyllis Nagy’s play, which is adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel and predated Anthony Minghella’s film, is essentially a study of a psychopath, mingling brutal reality with fantasy.

The problems are that the brutality is downplayed in HumDrum AmDram’s production and the fantasy is sometimes too elusive.

Yet Karen Charman achieves a fair level of success as first-time director. Using both the stage and a large section of floor area, she is able to move scenes seamlessly into each other, creating an almost cinematic fluidity of action.

She also secures a fine performance by Sam Sampson as Ripley, though he is more convincing in sinister smiles than in violent eruption. And the homo-er oticism is underplayed in the central relationship with Richard Greenleaf – too little of the play boy here from Tim Skedge. Peter Colley is powerfully moving at the end as Greenleaf Snr.

Mike Allen - The News.