Oliver Farnworth and Kym Marsh in FATAL ATTRACTION. Photograph: Tristram Kenton
Despite its strong cast performance, FATAL ATTRACTION doesn’t quite match the suspense, thrill, or energy of the original film.
It is 35 years since FATAL ATTRACTION first graced UK cinema screens. The erotic psychological thriller created somewhat of a controversy at the time of its release but became a huge box office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1987 worldwide. Now, James Dearden brings his original screenplay to the stage in a new production starring Kym Marsh and Oliver Farnworth.
Based on the Paramount Pictures film starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, FATAL ATTRACTION follows Dan Gallagher (Farnworth), a happily married New York attorney who meets beautiful editor Alex Forrest (Marsh) on a night out in the city. The pair have a night of passion, but when Dan returns home to his family and tries to forget his mistake, Alex becomes obsessed, threatening to ruin him and the life he has made.
Susie Amy and Oliver Farnworth in FATAL ATTRACTION. Photograph: Tristram Kenton
This stage adaption of FATAL ATTRACTION has been updated for a modern audience, incorporating mobile phones and digital technology into the story of infidelity, obsession, and human weakness. Here, Director Loveday Ingram makes good use of Morgan Large’s V-shaped set design, heavily relying on video projections to show the passing of time and display key phone calls and text messages. This is aided by Paul Englishby’s pulsating underscore and Jack Knowles’ effective lighting design, which help to push the action along.
Shame then that FATAL ATTRACTION doesn’t quite match the suspense, thrill, or energy of the original. Most of this is down to Dearden’s script, which is cluttered with excruciating dialogue. Scenes that are meant to be suspenseful, at times, initiate laughter from the audience. The iconic sequence that inspired the phrase “bunny boiler” is one example. Instead of the cinematic version’s mounting dread and horrific reveal, the scene comes across as unintentionally funny, as Marsh’s grim-faced character gropes around the kitchen cupboard in darkness for a large saucepan.
Oliver Farnworth and Kym Marsh in FATAL ATTRACTION. Photograph: Tristram Kenton
That’s not to blame the talented cast, who make the most of the poorly written parts. Kym Marsh steals the show as the seductive, scary, and unhinged Alex Forrest, effortlessly moving from the sultry seductress in act one to the psychotic, manic and menacing character in act two.
She is ably matched by Oliver Farnworth’s Dan Gallagher, who plays the conflicted man tied up in a knot of denial, fear, and resentment with terrific energy. The pair are well supported by Susie Amy, who, as Dan’s wife, gets the worse of the script but makes the stereotypical part her own.
The show’s finale also gets a mixed response from the audience. Those expecting the gore-soaked catfight climax of the film will be disappointed to see that it has been replaced by Dearden’s downbeat original draft. The revised ending certainly challenges our perception of the story but doesn’t have the lasting impact of the film’s final cut.
That said, all of this doesn’t take away from the strong cast performance. Fans of the film version will also see plenty of hints to the original, including a fabulous costume design that tips a retro wink to Close’s wardrobe. This is by no means a faithful rendition but an entertaining one, nevertheless.
FATAL ATTRACTION runs at the Opera House, Manchester, until 26 February 2022
Donna is the Founder and Editor of Frankly, My Dear UK. By day, she works as a digital marketing specialist, by night she reviews film, theatre and music for a wide range of publications including WhatsonStage and The Reviews Hub. Loves Formula 1, prosecco and life.
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