In the heart of America, something stirs, and it is some old news, ten years old in fact. Early Doors Productions bring White Lies, where Agent Maria Tracey is summoned to pick up a cold case involving a murder, and everyone is a suspect. The thing is, though, the crime happened in Tracey’s hometown.
There are symbolic scenes where the parents glance at their daughter through another lens, arms outstretched, as flashbacks give some foundation to Agent Tracey and her native town, a place that, as far as she is concerned, died long ago.
Through various scenes from past and present, we build a picture, and it is not a pretty one. We discover that the person murdered may have been a predator, though there is a glimmer of hope: he had gone to confession, and the Father knows something.
Surely the Father can help solve the case? The Father is beside himself, verbally and physically, in such a state that communication is frozen.
For those crime solvers out there, this may just be the sort of theatrical treasure that stimulates the senses and creates an intertwining pathway to a conclusion, where there is more than an actual death. It brings out those dust-covered ghosts who still have their piece to say, even if reluctantly.
In White Lies, we are privy to some sordid files coming to life before us in the form of a movie, almost. This piece addresses topics in a way that allows us to digest, reflect, and get a real flavour of the seventies and eighties. We have veterans, religious figures, the police force, the FBI, and Maria’s mother, with such a strong stage presence, she may just be the character who shines a shade brighter.
The case could quite honestly be put to bed, discontinued, left in cobwebs of unknown versions. However, everyone has an opinion, and new threads give it a new relevance. We find that Agent Tracey herself had a close encounter with the deceased as a child and was literally saved by her dog. This dog holds an honourable position within the scope of what ‘could have been’. But can Maria remain impartial with all the personal and familiar situations?
Cleverly constructed and executed within a talent-filled room, at times, it feels a bit busy, with almost too much going on.
There is a sense of waking the dead, a sense of the resolve already done and forgotten, but here, Agent Tracey is a professional within a male-dominated environment and is striving to crack the case.
Themes and subjects include gun references, suicide, and potential abduction. Early Doors Productions has, in White Lies, an impressive cast of actors who are used to versatility within this Essex-based theatre group.
This may not be Justin Cartledge’s best work, but what is offered is originality in the world of an American investigation. How relevant is it today? If you are prepared to sample the past in the American heartland, this may just be the show to take you on that particular journey. Early Doors presents something more than a classic ‘whodunnit’ — a time-travelling open book, and it is up to you to turn the pages.
