Skip to main content

Review of Catch Me If You Can at Milton Keynes Theatre

This touring play called Catch Me If You Can could easily be mistaken for the Steven Spielberg film of the same name, or indeed the later musical that spun from it. However, this is very different, a rather intriguing adaptation of a 1965 French play, Trap for a Lonely Man, by Robert Thomas and adapted here by Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert. Equally intriguing is the appearance of Dallas legend Patrick Duffy in the cast. So, should you be catching this play as it tours around the country? That is the first mystery to solve.

Daniel Corban’s wife Elizabeth has gone missing days after their marriage. Calling Inspector Levine to his honeymoon retreat in the remote Catskill mountains, Corban is desperate to find her. Then in the company of a local priest, Father Kelleher, she returns. Or does she?

In this constantly twisting and turning play, that is the sum of the story that should be shared here. To experience this play's labyrinthian twists and turns is much of the fun of this play, here directed extremely well by Bob Tomson.

At the centre of this show is a solid, if occasionally underplayed performance by Patrick Duffy as Daniel Corban. He delivers a performance just on the right side of the correct volume, but can, occasionally be difficult to hear in his relatively mild-mannered performance. Even when enraged by the events that surround him, Duffy barely raises a decibel.

Elsewhere Gray O’Brien is a lively and infectious Inspector Levine, quick with the jokes, often at the expense of his unseen wife. It is a great little performance, and in the role, O’Brien looks the part and his world-weariness makes his character instantly likeable. Linda Purl is tremendous as the lady who may or may not be Corban’s wife Elizabeth, and the dynamic between her and Duffy is excellent throughout, maybe unsurprising as they are in a real-life relationship. Purl expertly plays the path and behaviour of her motive questioned character.

I really liked Ben Nealon’s Father Kelleher, another character who you keep guessing the motives. Finally, of mention from the cast, there is a highly amusing appearance by Hugh Futcher, who holds the stage solo in his opening scene as Sidney. Great fun.

The set from Julie Godfrey is extremely functional and easy on the eye, while Matthew Bugg’s sound design captures some simple, but extremely effective, atmospheric moments.

Catch Me If You Can is a surprise. There is admittedly a degree of very clunky dialogue, which sometimes doesn’t feel has aged well. However, the clever and constantly weaving plots keep you guessing until the big twist at the end. Definitely worth catching this play as it tours the country.

Catch It While You Can!
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Monday 4th April 2022 at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes.

Catch Me If You Can runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 9th April 2022.

For further details about Milton Keynes see their website at http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

Catch Me If You Can is a BILL KENWRIGHT PRODUCTION

Production photos: Jack Merriman


Popular posts from this blog

Review of 2:22 A Ghost Story at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

2:22 A Ghost Story continues an endless rise and run of success on the stage. This play by Danny Robins was first staged as recently as August 2021 at the Noel Coward Theatre and since then the show continued to run in London for two years, moving to four further London theatres, before eventually closing in the city to embark on this tour, which began in September last year. During these runs, the cast has constantly been updated with often populist actors, and some, which are not even associated with acting. As this reaches Royal & Derngate, now even the touring cast has been swept clean and four further performers take on the incredible success of a show. This is the second time I have seen 2:22 A Ghost Story , and it is safe to say that on that first viewing, with the previous tour cast, I was not as blown away by the play as the success seemed to warrant. The aforementioned populist casting seemed to have driven a so-so ghostly tale into success beyond its quality, and with th...
Read more

Review of Matthew Bourne's Romeo + Juliet at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

Despite now having seen a few dance shows encompassing many different styles, I had yet to see one developed by Sir Matthew Bourne, a controversial player in his time, but as the relatively recent knighthood suggests, now very much embraced by the establishment. So, does Romeo + Juliet live up to his name, that is the question? So, first, this might normally be where I give you a brief outline of the story, but, for one, most have a general understanding of the love disaster of William Shakespeare's play already, and two, as it turns out from the Bourne production, a huge amount of what you might be familiar with has gone or been dramatically changed anyway. There is shocking complicity in murders, there are different moments of murder and gone are the warring factions of the Montagues and Capulets. Characters themselves feel very different at times also, to such an extent that even knowing the play doesn't always make it clear who is who at times. So, if all that sounds...
Read more

Review of The All New Adventures of Peter Pan at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

For theatres across the land, it's that time of year again. The time when the theatres fill with screaming children and a ridiculous amount of sugar intake and trips to the toilet. Yes, it is panto time, and before you say it, oh yes it is. This year, for the Royal & Derngate, it is time for a trip to Neverland (or Forever Land, that is, but more on that later) and a magical adventure with Peter Pan and the dastardly Captain Hook. Once again, following hugely successful previous runs, Evolution Productions brings this tale to the stage in 2025. And it has to be said, once again, they strike panto gold with The All New Adventures of Peter Pan , with a constantly lively, brilliantly colourful and awkwardly funny production that, as always with Evolution, is totally family friendly. Over the years here, Evolution and writer Paul Hendy have created the essence of pantomime (which just so happens to link to the tale within this story). Keeping all the traditions intact, a ghostly be...
Read more