A chilling tale for a dark winter’s night – Julie Blackburn visits Rushen Players in rehearsal for their latest production, Veronica’s Room…

If you feel like you’ve already had an overdose of Christmas, this could be the perfect antidote: a night out at the Erin Arts Centre to watch a tense psychological thriller, written by the man who brought us Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives.

Rushen Players are currently in the middle of rehearsing the Ira Levin penned Veronica’s Room – a Christmas pantomime it is not.

‘It’s a great play – a chilling murder mystery!’ says Susie Beswick, one of the leading actors.

Rushen Players is one of the oldest amateur dramatic societies on the island. Since their first play in 1949 they have put on over 160 performances. The society’s founding goals and aims were to encourage, develop and stimulate interest in live theatre, to pay their way, and to raise money for charity. As with all their performances, if they make a surplus from their current production, a donation will be made to a local charity.

They count themselves very fortunate to be able to put on their productions at the Erin Arts Centre: ‘We’ve been performing there for thirty years - I think people see us as part of the community,’ says Susie.

Initial rehearsals take place in the local social centre. Even in those everyday surroundings, without the lighting, costumes and props, it’s surprising how easy it is to get caught up in the story as the actors start going through their lines.

Apparently, it’s the same for the actors.

‘I thoroughly enjoy Rushen Players and the rehearsals are as enjoyable as the performances – you get completely lost in it and you forget everything else,’ says Graham Roberts.

Graham has some serious performing credits to his name: he worked for many years as a professional musician in cabaret and theatre before an operation on his vocal chords led to him retraining as a teacher. He came to the island twenty years ago and has since taught drama and English at St Ninian’s and the Open University and worked as a presenter on Manx Radio.

‘I hadn’t been on stage for nearly twenty years when I joined Rushen Players, but I still get exactly the same buzz,’ he says.

Part of the Rushen Players’ ethos is that front of house, backstage and acting members are of equal importance. They welcome any new members with enthusiasm and a love for the theatre, whether it’s to work in costumes, props, lighting, acting or producing the programmes.

Jennifer Higson graduated in costume and performance design and has worked on a number of films shot on the island. She in is charge of the costumes for Veronica’s Room and has been combing local charity shops looking for 1970s-era garments:

‘I trained in the theatre and I wanted to get back to it. I work full-time in Greens in St John’s, but this is my passion,’ says Jennifer.

Catie Angus, who is directing the play, has been involved with Rushen Players since she was a child: her father was one of the founder members: ‘I started going to rehearsals when I was about eleven. I would read in for people who weren’t there so that’s why I got the bug.’

She has only directed twice before and says she likes plays that are on the dark side: ‘If you feel passionate about a particular play you are motivated to direct it because you have a vision of how it could be.’

We’ve all been told that it’s hard to be funny, but how hard is it to be scary?

Catie says that it can be challenging, creating a chilling atmosphere, but lighting and music all play their part: ‘The end of Act One is quite disturbing but I have just the right music. And all the actors create the atmosphere themselves – their delivery is brilliant really.’

(l-r) Leading actors Susie Beswick, Graham Roberts, Daniel Carroll-Cawley
and Jenny Davies rehearse for their upcoming production of Veronica’s Room

The Veronica’s Room production team: (seated)Catie Angus, director,
(standing l-r) Adrienne Sanderson, co-director; Liz Galloway,
props, and Jennifer Higson, costumes