Alice Louise, Jon Ingbretson, and Alison Sacha Ross star in the American premiere of Noel Coward’s “The Better Half”

By Paul Sinasohn
Thrillpeddlers, the masters of arcane and unusual theatre, have come up with a must-see show for anyone who is a fan of Noel Coward or psychological thrillers. They are presenting “Grand Guignol” theatre, a form invented in Paris in the late 1800s that aimed to titillate and shock the audience by offering comic plays mixed with horror or thriller plays. London’s experiment with the form was short-lived, but involved many leading theatrical folk of the time.
For this new production, the company presents the U.S. premiere of a long-lost Noel Coward play, “The Better Half,” written by Coward at the age of 22, just a few years before the masterpieces that he is known for were penned. This play very definitely hints at them, with very amusing dialog, even if the ending is slightly unresolved. The history behind this play is interesting. Originally written for the troupe presenting Grand Guignol in London, the play was presented in a short run just before the theater closed. Though Coward listed the play in his oeuvre, there was thought to be no chance of ever seeing this work again because all the copies seemed to have been destroyed. But an “approval copy” was found in the files of the Lord Chancellor’s office in 2007, and by a happy chain of connections, the Thrillpeddlers were invited to stage the show.
The 3 actors in the show (Alice Louise, Alison Sacha Ross and Jonathan Ingbretson) are all up to the wit and humor that Coward requires, and have risen to the demands of a premiere. This show is delightful and pokes fun at the sexual mores of the British upper class.
The second play, “The Old Women (A Crime in the Madhouse)” is Christopher Holland’s translation of a French horror play and, while tame compared to the lightest of recent suspense and slasher films, still catches your interest as an early example of psychological thriller. This is set in a staple of Grand Guignol horror, the asylum. It contrasts the different viewpoints of religion and medicine. Alison Sacha Ross is also in this play, and her fervor will scare anyone who ever attended a Catholic school. Margery Fairchild is the suffering heroine/victim, and plays scared and desperate very well.
As a bonus, the Thrillpeddlars are also offering what they term “The Blue Hour” after the plays: a series of short vintage silent films and vaudevillian performances by company members. In true music hall style, the offerings in this after-show will change every evening. Opening night featured several members of the company in some very silly items, the best of which was a short called “First Day,” about a young salesgirl’s first day on the job in the guillotine section (!!) of a department store. And there’s a special bonus for fans of The Cockettes! The Cockettes have joined Thrillpeddlers, and will be making cameo appearances as part of The Blue Hour on some evenings.
As masters of shock theatre, it is natural for Thrillpeddlers to work in the Guignol form, combining “The Better Half” with “The Old Women” for a highly entertaining evening. Flaming Sin makes for grand theatrical fun for fans of Coward and horror alike; this show is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 
The show runs through May 3 at the Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street, San Francisco. Tickets ($20 to $36.35) are available by phone at (800) 838-3006 or online at www.thrillpeddlers.com.q