Director Karen Johnstone opted for a slow burning drama building up to an unexpected and shocking climax for the Woolstore Theatre’s Spring production.

In her elegant London home, Julia Darrow (Sophia Milburn) is an attractive young woman in a wheelchair awaiting an operation, and we learn she was having a very discreet affair with her married boss and was injured in a car accident when he had a heart attack and died while driving.

Enter Gary (Matt Spencer), young, unemployed and described by Julia as her ‘Daily Male’. Gary looks after the garden, comes in several times during the week to do the cleaning and runs errands. He’s obviously smitten with Julia, a little possessive and very protective.

Julia’s only other visitor is her grief counsellor Anne Bennett (Katherine Beaumont), a down-to-earth and practical woman, well aware that Julia’s sense of guilt and deliberate isolation from her friends is unhealthy. But when Julia says she has received a letter from her lover’s widow asking to meet, Anne’s response is to let things be.

However Julie goes ahead and meets Margaret Haddrell (Hilary Armstrong), who is apparently oblivious to the infidelity, hesitant and desperate for any scrap of information about her husband’s last moments.

Despite her reluctance to become involved with Margaret, Julia continues to meet the woman she feels she wronged. Meanwhile little things in the house go missing and are moved, and Julia suspects Matt and begins to question him in an escalating aggressive manner culminating in telling him not to come any more.

Gradually Margaret begins to take over, suggesting outside counselling is not necessary, dishing out pills, answering the telephone, isolating Julia from everyone else: she has dismissed Matt when small items go missing from her home.

Finally Julia, constantly languid and in pain despite her medication, becomes suspicious of Margaret, and calls Matt and asks him to come back as she is afraid. The murderous denouement is shocking.

With only four actors, this very strong cast totally inhabited their characters and gave outstanding performances.

Hilary Armstrong is a Woolstore veteran, while Matt Spencer has been with the company for 12 years, usually playing the drums or on percussion, and this was his first major role.

Sophia Milburn and Katherine Beaumont were both making their Woolstore debuts and were excellent, hopefully this will not be the last time we see them.As always the team behind the production worked hard.

July will see All Over By Christmas, a commemoration of the First World War in words and music.