The Strangling on the Stage Read Free

Freddie Dalrymple, who’s the guy who started the Society, and she’s very much its social hub. Holds these little parties on Saturdays that she calls her “drinkies things” and if you’re invited to one of those you really know you’ve arrived in SADOS. Anyway, Elizaveta is kind of used to getting all the major parts in the shows – even ones that she’s far too old for. And she’s very in with Davina Vere Smith, who’s actually directing
The Devil’s Disciple
, and with quite a lot of the older members. So I thought there was a real danger that Judith Anderson, who’s meant to be – what, thirty? – well, that the part would go to Elizaveta Dalrymple, who’s got to be seventy – and that’s being generous.’
    â€˜But instead you triumphed?’
    â€˜Yes. Well, as I said, I was definitely the best person for the part.’ In spite of the vagaries and vulnerabilities in other areas of her life, Storm Lavelle was very assured about her acting skills. And indeed it was when witnessing one of her performances that Jude had seen her friend at her most confident. Maybe getting into the professional theatre would be the resolution of Storm’s personality problems. Not of course that getting into the professional theatre was an easy thing to be achieved by a woman in her forties.
    â€˜And have you actually started rehearsals for the play yet?’
    â€˜Read-through on Sunday. Open on the twelfth of May.’
    â€˜Wow! Three months’ rehearsal. A lot of professional theatres would kill for that amount of time.’
    â€˜Maybe, but you forget that we aren’t doing it full-time. Most of the cast have day jobs.’
    â€˜Yes, of course. I wasn’t thinking.’
    â€˜So we rehearse Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons.’
    â€˜And how many performances do you do?’
    â€˜Just the four. The twelfth of May’s a Wednesday, and we go through to the Saturday. SADOS used to open on Tuesdays and throw in a Saturday matinee as well, but they can’t get the audiences for that many performances now.’
    â€˜Ah.’ Jude removed her hands from Storm’s body and rubbed the oil off them with a towel. ‘That’s you done,’ she said. ‘Unknotted a few of the knots, I hope?’
    â€˜Great, as ever. Thank you, Jude.’
    â€˜My pleasure. I’m sure I’ll soon be asking you to do the same for me. Anyway, good luck with the read-through on Sunday.’
    â€˜Yes, I’m a bit nervous about it. Excited too, but at the moment mainly nervous.’
    â€˜I’m sure you’ll be fine.’
    â€˜Oh, I will … once the read-through actually starts. But, you see, the thing is … Ritchie Good’s playing Dick Dudgeon.’
    â€˜Is he?’ said Jude, though neither of the names meant anything to her. ‘Should I know him?’
    â€˜Ritchie Good? Surely you’ve heard of him?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Oh, he’s a terrific actor. Everyone says he should have done it professionally. He’s played star parts with lots of local groups – the Fedborough Thespians, the Clincham Players, the Worthing Rustics – Ritchie’s acted with all of them. He even played Hamlet for the Rustington Barnstormers.’
    â€˜Did he?’ said Jude, trying to sound appropriately impressed.
    â€˜He’s really good. Somebody must have pulled out all the stops to get him for the SADOS. I suppose it might have been Davina, though I’d be surprised if she had the clout to persuade someone like Ritchie Good.’
    â€˜Davina?’
    â€˜Davina Vere Smith. She’s the director. I said.’
    â€˜Yes, I’m sorry.’
    â€˜He’s incredibly good-looking, Ritchie. Got quite a following in the amdram world.’
    Jude wondered for a moment whether it would be this new paragon, Ritchie Good, rather than Neville Prideaux