Tabard Theatre Bewitched By Broadway Blockbuster

Spellbound Susan Stanley-Carroll agrees

Edward Hayes-Neary and Beth Burrows
Edward Hayes-Neary and Beth Burrows

February 25, 2023

“Bell, Book and Candle” a charming rom-com with more than a good dollop of preposterous, yet plausible and magical moments, is now playing for two more weeks at the Tabard Theatre.

John Van Druten wrote it in 1950 and it was not only a successful Hollywood film but a play on Broadway and in the West End. It also inspired the popular television series “Bewitched”. The plot revolves around a London coven of twentieth century witches and warlocks. It is credible and charming but maybe a tad too long.

Gillian Holroyd is a witch and she fancies Anthony, the guy in the upstairs apartment, who is dating a girl she dislikes. Gillian’s spell on Anthony is made and laid!

Ho, ho, what ensues is fast paced, witty and absorbing (well as long as you are in the mood for a quirky, whimsical rom com spirited evening).

The cast - and what a cast - puts on a fantastic show. You will have more than likely seen them on your TV. They ignite and unite with aplomb.

The mesmerising Beth Burrow, who starred a few years ago at the Tabard in “The Lady with a Little Dog”, plays Gillian Holroyd. She sweeps through a gamut of emotions convincingly and, of course, magically. Edward Hayes-Neary gives a suave performance as the debonair publisher Anthony Henderson, bewitched by Gillian Holroyd. His role was originally played by Rex Harrison.

Zoe Teverson is Gillian’s aunt Queenie, who is, oh SO ‘Norty’ and delivers most of the magic spells. Richard Lynson as Sidney Redlitch, a pundit who writes about witches, is an exceptional experienced thespian and adds gravitas to the drama. And we must not forget Queenie’s nephew and Gillian’s brother, played perfectly by Daniel Breakwell - his timing is spot on and his performance is subtle but riveting.

Zoe Teverson and Edward Hayes-Neary
Zoe Teverson and Edward Hayes-Neary

Alice Mcnicholas’s costumes are a treat: they are fresh from the sewing machine yet the designs are firmly set in the fifties with a dash of 2023. Delightful and so many of them. My eyes shot out on stalks at Queenie’s stockings that had long, dark seams at the back. It’s so hard to keep two black seams straight and she did it.

But, oh boy, the set by Rob Miles and Pat McMahon just shows what can be done with a very small space. At the Tabard Studio there have been good sets and indifferent sets: this set is perfect. The detail - for instance the door leading off the stage shows a perfectly decorated hall with a hall table and an arrangement of flowers.

Samuel Owen’s lighting is sophisticated and creates much of the magic - it is electrifying!

The show sees the return of the Director, Mark Giesser, to Theatre at the Tabard and his deftly and beautifully directed production is a credit to him and the company. On Tuesday night there was a packed and very appreciative house and this bewitched audience responded with fervent rapture.

Susan Stanley-Carroll

“Bell, Book & Candle” - last performance at Theatre at The Tabard is Saturday 11 March.

You can book online on the Tabard Theatre web site or call the box office on 020 8995 6035.

Theatre at the Tabard is at 2 Bath Road, Chiswick (W4 1LW).

 

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