Dangerous Lady

Written by Martina Cole, 1992

Directed by Lisa Goldman

Stage and Costume Design by Jean-Marc Puissant

Lighting by Mike Gunning

Images © courtesy of Theatre Royal Stratford East

Goldman’s production hurtles along at cinematic speed, with the aid of designer Jean-Marc Puissant’s corrugated-iron screens.

The Guardian

The challenge of bringing this best-selling thriller to the stage was to present 48 scenes and locations, and a story spanning every decade from 1940 to 1990, as a continuous flow of action with one interval.

 

I set the production in an abandoned East London Victorian warehouse where time has stopped. It is used as storage for old furniture and objects, fitted with a turn table and corrugated iron partitions. The revolve brings furniture and props through sliding doors and industrial rubber curtains.

 

Costumes signal passing decades through bold fashion changes, anchoring the plot in its context while making sure the audience keps track of its chronology.

The Guardian by Michael Billington

Goldman’s production hurtles along at cinematic speed, with the aid of designer Jean-Marc Puissant’s corrugated-iron screens; and the acting is very good, too.

 

The Independent by Laura Thompson

Directed with admirable smoothness by Lisa Goldman, on a wonderful dark set by Jean-Marc Puissant that stages short scenes on revolves within the stage floor.

 

Time Out by Matt Trueman

Lisa Goldman’s production tears off like a get-away car using the twin revolve to create a real stage-turner.

 

The Stage by Lauren Paxman

The script packs all the action into 48 scenes, cleverly connected with the slick use of Jean-Marc Puissant’s sophisticated rotating stage design.

 

Evening Standard by Fiona Mountford

Lisa Goldman’s virtually décor-free production whizzes us through everything with brisk efficiency, with changing styles of clothes and hair marking the passing of time, as the body count mounts and family loyalties are stretched to breaking point and beyond. Effective and eminently watchable.

 

British Theatre Guide by Howard Loxton

Staged against a smoky dark background with only simple furniture a neon sign and sweeping searchlights to relieve it, designer Jean-Marc Puissant makes crime seem glamorous only in the men’s sharp suits and Maura’s turn out. To speed the action between its changing locations he has brought in a revolve which the production uses effectively.