GEORGE HUTCHINSON

The Murders & Mystery of Jack the Ripper
The Crochan, Y Ffwrness. 27 and 28 October 2015
This year has seen two productions grace two very different stages in South Wales, in August we were treated to historical
drama from Talking Scarlet’s Sherlock Holmes and the Jack the Ripper Murders, and this Halloween in Llanelli’s Ffwrness
Theatre we were treated Jon Lee Rees’ insightful and intelligent The Murder and Mystery of Jack the Ripper a project launched
in conjunction with a Llanelli based theater company Boom Productions. Two contrasting productions with the clear winner
being Boom Productions offering, which offered a unique and intriguing experience, experimental and unique in its creation
but nonetheless outstandingly enjoyable, well executed and excellently preformed.
On entering the theater the atmosphere was set by the playing of Music Hall music, combined with the low lighting of the
(LED) candles set on tables that were dressed with black cloth, it created an exciting and wonderful atmosphere. Added to
this was the air of mystery added to the evening, through an intriguing envelope that was lying quite innocently on our tables
marked ‘Do not open.’ It was clear from the outset that we were in for a mysteriously entertaining evening.
The performance itself was held in the intimate setting of the Crochan, a space which suited the production as the second
part of the evening included audience participation and would not have worked so well in a larger setting. Being in part a
lecture on the Whitechapel Murders, with key situations being dramatized by a strong and talented and highly commendable
cast using the text of original police reports as their script it was something fresh and new. Bringing the Whitechapel murders
to a new audience is a tricky task, and Rees managed to hold his audiences attention by breaking up his narration with this
inventive device. I feel that given Rees’ strong skill that he would be able to have carried the evening alone. His speech was
clear; his passion for his subject evident and above all it was delightful to see just how much he enjoyed presenting his work
to the audience added to the enjoyment of the evening. He is highly knowledgeable, friendly and spent a great time during the
interval, and after the performance discussing the crimes. There was a real effort to help the audience see and understand the
surroundings that the murders took place in, this was achieved through high quality animations showing the location slowly turn
from how it looks now to how it would have looked in 1888. These recreations were high quality and their detail was incredible,
and helped the audience get a real feel for what life would have looked like. The whole evening really displayed a high level
of attention for detail and history.
During the interval not only was there an opportunity to talk with our narrator, but to delve into and explore the National
Archive Pack that had been kindly put on display. Which was a great opportunity, and fascinating to see.
A great knowledge was not just shown by our narrator, but by the cast too, it was great to see that they had taken to
learning about the crimes to help the audience decided upon the killer in the second part of the evening. During the interval
it was announced that we would be helping to ‘solve’ the murders and all the information we needed was in the packs in front
of us. The audience pack was well done, there was a brief biography of the suspect and how they factored into the crimes
committed, with the post mortem and crime scene photographs of the victims discretely labeled in a separate envelope.
This was just as enjoyable part of the evening, and gave the audience the chance to talk about what we had just listened
to, and discuss out own theories in regards to the suspects we were given, which were Walter Sickert, William Gull, George
Hutchinson, Aaron Kosminski, James Maybrick, Montague John Druitt and Charles Lechmere. An interesting rouges gallery that
provided a diverse range of theories..
It truly was a strong production from a wonderful company. I hope that they have the opportunity to present this production
to a wider audience.
Review by Lauren Davies
WANT US TO REVIEW YOUR BOOK?
Ripperologist magazine has a circulation list of over 900 readers,
each with an interest in Jack the Ripper, Victorian crime and London’s East End.
If you are an author or publisher of a forthcoming book and would like to reach our readers,
please get in touch at contact@ripperologist.biz
Ripperologist 146 October 2015 98