Dead guilty

Spectacle en anglais. John Haddrell meurt d’une crise cardiaque au volant de sa voiture en compagnie de sa maîtresse Julia. Après l’accident, Julia reçoit la visite de Margaret l’épouse de John qui semble tout ignorer de sa liaison avec John.

The Acting Crew was created as a dynamic new focus for Anglophone theatre in Paris. The depth, range and sheer numbers of English-speaking actors now living in the Ile de France provides a talent pool capable of supplying a wide variety of productions with high-level performing artists. The Acting Crew’s objective is to present both established, popular works and new plays representing the diverse faces, and facets, of Anglophone culture. The troupe grew out of a series of classes given by Eddie Crew, started in 1998, which brought together actors from various parts of the Paris theatre scene. Building from this base, the Acting Crew has forged co-production alliances with Moving Parts and the Théâtre les Déchargeurs to present its first set of plays. The Acting Crew intends to establish itself as a permanent production entity, unafraid to take the artistic risks needed to reach a broader audience of both French and expatriate theatre goers, by presenting exciting new productions.

The Moving Parts bilingual theatre group offers playwrights the opportunity to have new work read by actors in an informal workshop setting. Writers try out works-in-progress and develop their shows with the help of actors’ responses to the texts, as well as responses and critiques from audience members, and practical suggestions from other authors. Now in its fifth year, Moving Parts is expanding its activities, in conjunction with the Acting Crew and other theatre groups, to bring original plays to the stage in Paris, and to promote the translation of new plays between English and French.

Les Déchargeurs

Since 1982 the Théâtre les Déchargeurs has been a center for multicultural poetry and theatre in the heart of the Châtelet-Les Halles district of central Paris. The theatre -- a 16^th century relais de poste used in the 19th century as a banana-ripening depot and then a cheese warehouse -- was transformed by theatrical visionary Vicky Messica into a performing space that welcomes poetry, music and song from around France and the world. The theatre specializes in promoting young troupes that bring the latest in contemporary work to the Paris stage, and strives to make live theatre accessible to the broadest audience possible, including special series for children. The Théâtre les Déchargeurs maintains an active role in presenting English-language works, and in the creation and promotion of new plays.

When John Haddrell dies at the wheel of his car from a heart attack, the woman beside him is not his wife but his lover, Julia. Gravely injured in the crash that followed the heart attack, and plagued by guilt, Julia attempts suicide while still in the hospital. Once home, she is visited by John’s wife Margaret, who appears not to have known about the affair. As Margaret becomes increasingly involved in Julia’s life, objects around the house begin to disappear, causing Julia to dismiss her loyal houseboy Gary. Margaret also inserts a psychological wedge between Julia and her therapist Anne. Julia finds herself more and more isolated -- except from the ever-present (and ever more sinister) Margaret, who moves in to ÒhelpÓ the invalid Julia after yet another operation to repair her injuries from the crash. This tense and excellent thriller keeps one guessing right up to the point of its powerful climax, and is not to be missed.

The enormous success of Dead Guilty at London’s Apollo Theatre, starring Jenny Seagrove and Hayley Mills, confirms the play as a gripping thriller in the tradition of Sleuth and The Mousetrap.

" ... Harris ... reels in his victim with a satisfying flourish..." Sunday Times
" ... plenty of psycho-dramatic conflict to keep you guessing." What's On In London