British playwright Gerald Moon’s 1984 play ‘Corpse’ is one of the finest plays of the comedy thriller genre.

Moon’s play is set in London in 1936, charts the story of rivaling twin brothers, Evelyn and Rupert Farrant. Evelyn, a struggling actor who engages the services of Irishman , Major Powell, to do away with his suave, sophisticated, monied twin, Rupert, to claim an inheritance that he believes is rightfully his. Evelyn’s plans go very awry.

Leanne Caton’s current lively revival makes for a fun, entertaining night in the theatre.

Arpad Horvath gives a high energy, physical and vibrant performance in the lead, playing both twins.

Paul Hudson showed good comic touch as Major Powell, who finds his world subsumed by the Farrant twins. Hudson’s performance generates much of its humour from the frustration his character feels, a frustration that is summed up in contextualizing his aside to the audience, ‘I’ve just killed both of them twice, and they’re still coming back!’

Jenny Vanderlem hits all the right notes as Evelyn’s nosey, flirtatious/sexually frustrated landlord Mrs McGee, who is forever chasing Evelyn for the back rent that he owes. Mrs McGee also has a droll touch, loved her line to Evelyn when one day he comes back to his room dressed in women’s clothes and she asks him, ‘So, what role are you playing today?’.

Graham Fairbrother rounds out the cast playing ‘old salt’ Constable Hawkins who is forever turning up on the scene at the most inopportune times.

My stand-out scene is when Paul Hudson as Major Powell ineptly tries to tidy up the crime scene after killing Evelyn and manages to leave fingerprints everywhere. Hudson plays the scene in a light, tongue in cheek style that works well.

Peter Traish’s set design along with Leone Sharp’s set decoration gives the cast a great space to work in. The comprehensively detailed set features two locations, Evelyn’s bedroom in his Soho flat and Rupert’s living room in his Regent Park house.

Leanne Caton and Steve Vote’s dramatic music score in between scenes keeps the audience in the mood.

Leanne Caton’s production of Gerald Moon’s ‘Corpse’ opened on Friday 12th November and plays the Henry Lawson Theatre, located within the Henry Lawson Club on Henry Lawson Drive, Werrington County, until Friday 3rd December, 2010.