This play of elegant words is well suited to Northern Broadsides and gives this talented company a medium in which to excel. Barrie Rutter directs and then leaves it to the cast to bring the play to life. Modern dress fronts Thomas Haywood’s play written in about 1596, a play that has not aged and is still as fresh today as the day when first performed. It tells the story of a woman who makes a mistake and then gives all to be reconciled with her husband. The set is by Giuseppe Belli and Emma Barrington-Binns and is the platformed circle of light coloured wood which is adaptable to any venue and gives a stage for the performers.

Now what can you say of the cast? To mention one would be unfair to the rest and not to mention them would not be right, so how do you make recompense? Easy, you must go to see the company perform. As someone in the the audience said, “these talented people!” Each is a master of his craft in his own way and you can hear every word.

A candle is accidentally dropped. How do I leave my seat? To my right another person, a person with crutches and another in a motorised wheelchair. To my left at least twenty occupied seats. In front of me a waist high barrier. Thankfully the candle is retrieved by a member of the audience and the play continues. Food for thought.

What more can you say about this production except go and see it. A packed audience made sure no spare seats were available, so they must have known something and kept quiet about it, making sure that they saw a remarkable piece of theatre. © BA

“A Woman Killed with Kindness” is at the Round in Scarborough from the 3rd of April until the 5th of April, 2003 and then continues touring.