Gallowglass at The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

Give me one good reason why I should venture out on a freezing cold January evening to see a Ruth Rendell thriller at the theatre when there is so much great drama on TV.

I’ll give you several good reasons.

Firstly, Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre is a real gem and always worth a visit.

The Grand is superior to many of London’s West End theatres and it’s on our doorstep.

Tickets are affordably priced and standards are high. I’m afraid my living room just can’t compete with this beautiful little theatre.

Secondly, there’s a magic about watching a live play that you simply don’t experience sitting in front of the TV.

The cast of Gallowglass all give excellent performances, especially Joe Eyre as the creepy main protagonist of a kidnap plot.

A strong ensemble also includes Paul Opacic (best known for playing Steve Marchant in Emmerdale) and Richard Walsh (Bert ‘Sicknote’ Quigley from London’s Burning).

Another great thing about the theatre as opposed to TV is that you get to see some very creative production techniques and set designs.

It’s a refreshing change to the multiple camera angles and special effects of dramas played out on film.

The director and designer of Gallowglass, Michael Lunney, does a fine job of staging a slick production with impressive transitions between scenes. There’s nothing particularly high tech but it’s interesting to see how everything works.

The quality of Ruth Rendell’s work is such that many of her books have been adapted for screen and stage. The plot of Gallowglass twists and turns in many directions before providing a somewhat surprising conclusion.

It’s quite a long play but it managed to keep my attention throughout, unlike many of the programmes on television.

So, have I convinced you that Gallowglass is worth the effort of getting up from in front of the TV? If so, you’d better hurry because the play only has a relatively short run until Saturday, January 20.

If you can’t make it down to the Grand this weekend look out for their upcoming productions.

They’ve got some great shows lined up over the coming months including Mamma Mia! and Hairspray. I’m looking forward to making regular visits to Wolverhampton during 2018 for my fix of live theatre.

To book tickets, visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk.

GKH