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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Sixteenth in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn vintage mystery series involving a Scotland Yard detective and his team. The focus is on Martyn Tarne's ambitions.
My Take
The subject play, Revisit, is a play about ideas and requires Gay's character to be a reflection of Adam's character, who represents "the struggle of the human being in the detestable situation in which . . . he has found himself".
It's a fairytale as a wanna-be actress achieves her goal. She never expected, however, to get it this way. It's a good bit of luck for Martyn, falling into this situation at the Vulcan, as it opens a wealth of possibilities, including Jacko, who is also a dab at cooking.
It has to be third person global subjective point-of-view, although the perspectives are not evenly distributed. Martyn's is the most prominent with Alleyn's second.
The stories in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn series have primarily been a study of police procedures, and yes, Night at the Vulcan does make good use of procedures, but it's more forensics in this mystery. I do like that a previous character in the series is popping up in Night at the Vulcan!
I'm not quite sure what Badger's intentions are toward Martyn that first night, but he's so creepy! As for Gay Gainsford, I sometimes feel sorry for her. On the other hand, she should show some backbone! And then again, even though Gay doesn't want the role, she doesn't want Martyn to have it. She doesn't want Martyn to even be anywhere in the theatre. And Gay does enjoy focusing attention on herself. Oy.
There is a lot of pissing and moaning backstage with actors and staff whining about each other, about Rutherford, about Gay in her role. No one thinks she's any good but are, mostly, too afraid to say so. Even her real-life uncle thinks she's terrible but refuses to admit it out loud.
Rumor is running amuck that Martyn is something more than she'll admit. There are also rumblings about the unfortunate theatre's past. For certain sure, Marsh's description of the heating perils of the 1940s makes me appreciate today's HVAC.
Hmm, Alleyn absently notes that Troy once commented that Fox "was a cross between a bear and a baby and exhibited the most pleasing traits of both". I'm trying to imagine this.
The "love" affairs are . . . . hmmm . . . flexible. I guess they're a good example of romance behind the scenes. Poole certainly analyzes Helena's various affairs as well as his with her. His next "affair" is sweet, but not believable.
It's a mystery in which most of the characters want to do and be good, although, they are affiliated with acting.
The Story
Down to a few pence, Martyn Tarne is desperate for any kind of work. Her dreams of being an actress are taking second place to food and a place to sleep. She'll, she'll even accept a position at a distant relation's theatre.
Best of all, she can hide in the theatre and sleep there. Until she's discovered in more ways than one.
It's more than just Poole family history, but the curse of the theatre that reveals a body. But is it suicide or murder?
The Characters
Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn has settled into being at Scotland Yard after brief forays into the military and the diplomatic corps. Agatha Troy, the famous painter, is his wife.
Scotland Yard
His team includes Detective-Inspector Fox; Detective Sergeant (DS) Bailey, whose specialty is fingerprints; DS Thompson, the photography specialist; DS Gibson; Dr Curtis is the police surgeon; and, Police Constable Lord Mike Lamprey (from Surfeit of Lampreys, 10; as a young boy, his family had had a place in New Zealand on Mount Silver).
The Vulcan Theatre comes with . . .
. . . an old past (five years ago) with a new facade now owned by Adam Poole. Bob Grantley is the business manager. Clem Smith is the stage-manager's assistant/stage director. Alf is a stage-hand. Fred Badger is the night-watchman. Revisit is a new play by the dictatorial Dr John James Rutherford.
Martyn "Kate" Tarne, a New Zealander, has dreams of becoming an actress, on her own merit. Now she'll be Helena's stand-in dresser. She was named for her father, the son and grandson of a high-country sheep farmer. Her mother, Paula Poole Passington, is from the same area.
Adam Poole is the male star and manager — and in love with Helena. A cousin of his father's married a Passington and then disappeared. Bob Cringle is Poole's dresser.
Jacques "Jacko" Doré, a.k.a. Poole's Luck, is French-Canadian and the man-of-all-trades, designer, artist, responsible for all the décor and dressing for all of Poole's productions — and technically assistant to Poole.
Helena Hamilton, Auntie Ella, is the star turn performing as the cousin's wife; her dresser, Tansey, is ill. Clark Bennington, Helena's husband who used to prep using the Stanislavsky method and is an ugly drunk these days, plays Poole's brilliant, unstable cousin. J.G. (George) Darcey plays Poole's great-uncle. The selfish Gay Gainsford, Bennington's niece, is miserable in her role as the vicious, freakish daughter of Poole's and who is engaged to a nonentity. In her misery, she latches onto J.G. Parry Percival is Ben's character's butt.
The Garnet Marks' Agency sends people out on auditions. Trixie O'Sullivan sent Martyn off on the wrong track. Florian's is a flower shop. Bennington mentions an "Uncle Tito". Otto Brod from Prague had written a play. The Jupiter was pre-Vulcan. Ellen Terry. Eileen? Greenacres? appears to be part of an employment agency.
The Cover and Title
The cover is red, pink, and orange. The upper third uses a gradation of dark red on the top and sides to a brighter red in the center bottom, forming a background for the title, which uses a subtle gradation of pale, pale pink to pink. In the middle is Marsh's signature stretched-out banner with the author's name in its art deco font using deep burgundy, white, and dark red scratchings against a pink background. in the bottom third of the cover is the series signature one-sided scalloped lines in pale pinkish white raying out from the bottom to the sides. In between these rays is a gradation of deep red to red. In the center of the rays are a pair of golden velvet drapes pulled to the side with a spotlight focusing a circle on the green floor with a deep brown background. The series arch uses the pink background and a much paler pink for the series info text.
The title is straightforward, for it is a Night at the Vulcan.
My Take
The subject play, Revisit, is a play about ideas and requires Gay's character to be a reflection of Adam's character, who represents "the struggle of the human being in the detestable situation in which . . . he has found himself".
It's a fairytale as a wanna-be actress achieves her goal. She never expected, however, to get it this way. It's a good bit of luck for Martyn, falling into this situation at the Vulcan, as it opens a wealth of possibilities, including Jacko, who is also a dab at cooking.
It has to be third person global subjective point-of-view, although the perspectives are not evenly distributed. Martyn's is the most prominent with Alleyn's second.
The stories in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn series have primarily been a study of police procedures, and yes, Night at the Vulcan does make good use of procedures, but it's more forensics in this mystery. I do like that a previous character in the series is popping up in Night at the Vulcan!
I'm not quite sure what Badger's intentions are toward Martyn that first night, but he's so creepy! As for Gay Gainsford, I sometimes feel sorry for her. On the other hand, she should show some backbone! And then again, even though Gay doesn't want the role, she doesn't want Martyn to have it. She doesn't want Martyn to even be anywhere in the theatre. And Gay does enjoy focusing attention on herself. Oy.
There is a lot of pissing and moaning backstage with actors and staff whining about each other, about Rutherford, about Gay in her role. No one thinks she's any good but are, mostly, too afraid to say so. Even her real-life uncle thinks she's terrible but refuses to admit it out loud.
Rumor is running amuck that Martyn is something more than she'll admit. There are also rumblings about the unfortunate theatre's past. For certain sure, Marsh's description of the heating perils of the 1940s makes me appreciate today's HVAC.
Hmm, Alleyn absently notes that Troy once commented that Fox "was a cross between a bear and a baby and exhibited the most pleasing traits of both". I'm trying to imagine this.
The "love" affairs are . . . . hmmm . . . flexible. I guess they're a good example of romance behind the scenes. Poole certainly analyzes Helena's various affairs as well as his with her. His next "affair" is sweet, but not believable.
It's a mystery in which most of the characters want to do and be good, although, they are affiliated with acting.
The Story
Down to a few pence, Martyn Tarne is desperate for any kind of work. Her dreams of being an actress are taking second place to food and a place to sleep. She'll, she'll even accept a position at a distant relation's theatre.
Best of all, she can hide in the theatre and sleep there. Until she's discovered in more ways than one.
It's more than just Poole family history, but the curse of the theatre that reveals a body. But is it suicide or murder?
The Characters
Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn has settled into being at Scotland Yard after brief forays into the military and the diplomatic corps. Agatha Troy, the famous painter, is his wife.
Scotland Yard
His team includes Detective-Inspector Fox; Detective Sergeant (DS) Bailey, whose specialty is fingerprints; DS Thompson, the photography specialist; DS Gibson; Dr Curtis is the police surgeon; and, Police Constable Lord Mike Lamprey (from Surfeit of Lampreys, 10; as a young boy, his family had had a place in New Zealand on Mount Silver).
The Vulcan Theatre comes with . . .
. . . an old past (five years ago) with a new facade now owned by Adam Poole. Bob Grantley is the business manager. Clem Smith is the stage-manager's assistant/stage director. Alf is a stage-hand. Fred Badger is the night-watchman. Revisit is a new play by the dictatorial Dr John James Rutherford.
Martyn "Kate" Tarne, a New Zealander, has dreams of becoming an actress, on her own merit. Now she'll be Helena's stand-in dresser. She was named for her father, the son and grandson of a high-country sheep farmer. Her mother, Paula Poole Passington, is from the same area.
Adam Poole is the male star and manager — and in love with Helena. A cousin of his father's married a Passington and then disappeared. Bob Cringle is Poole's dresser.
Jacques "Jacko" Doré, a.k.a. Poole's Luck, is French-Canadian and the man-of-all-trades, designer, artist, responsible for all the décor and dressing for all of Poole's productions — and technically assistant to Poole.
Helena Hamilton, Auntie Ella, is the star turn performing as the cousin's wife; her dresser, Tansey, is ill. Clark Bennington, Helena's husband who used to prep using the Stanislavsky method and is an ugly drunk these days, plays Poole's brilliant, unstable cousin. J.G. (George) Darcey plays Poole's great-uncle. The selfish Gay Gainsford, Bennington's niece, is miserable in her role as the vicious, freakish daughter of Poole's and who is engaged to a nonentity. In her misery, she latches onto J.G. Parry Percival is Ben's character's butt.
The Garnet Marks' Agency sends people out on auditions. Trixie O'Sullivan sent Martyn off on the wrong track. Florian's is a flower shop. Bennington mentions an "Uncle Tito". Otto Brod from Prague had written a play. The Jupiter was pre-Vulcan. Ellen Terry. Eileen? Greenacres? appears to be part of an employment agency.
The Cover and Title
The cover is red, pink, and orange. The upper third uses a gradation of dark red on the top and sides to a brighter red in the center bottom, forming a background for the title, which uses a subtle gradation of pale, pale pink to pink. In the middle is Marsh's signature stretched-out banner with the author's name in its art deco font using deep burgundy, white, and dark red scratchings against a pink background. in the bottom third of the cover is the series signature one-sided scalloped lines in pale pinkish white raying out from the bottom to the sides. In between these rays is a gradation of deep red to red. In the center of the rays are a pair of golden velvet drapes pulled to the side with a spotlight focusing a circle on the green floor with a deep brown background. The series arch uses the pink background and a much paler pink for the series info text.
The title is straightforward, for it is a Night at the Vulcan.
dmturner's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
I seem to be re-reading all the English mysteries of my youth. This one is an antediluvian pleasure laden with drama.
tarshka's review against another edition
2.0
One of Ngaio Marsh's many theater-related mysteries. It doesn't stand out to me.
cardica's review against another edition
3.0
On Death of the Reader's 2020 recommendations this Review Season, we placed Opening Night/Night at the Vulcan in fifteenth. This novel, amongst her other contributions to revitalising theatre in New Zealand led to [a:Ngaio Marsh|68144|Ngaio Marsh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1237946649p2/68144.jpg]'s Damehood in 1966, and as such makes a fascinating look into the theatre culture she loved so much.
The Vulcan begins by following the frantic thoughts of our heroine, Martyn Tarne, a young woman who acts as our point of view and as our humanising Watson throughout the story, she is desperate for work and ends up having greatness thrust open her as she finds an important part in the grand re-opening night of the Vulcan theatre. She begins as the makeup lady of the lead actor but ends up on stage for the titular opening night. This leads to various promises and threats kicking off in the background as the characters squabble both openly and quietly over how the play should be handled, and this is one of the great strengths of the work. The book spends the bulk of its time exploring the character dynamics within this theatre and Marsh really works to capture the atmosphere in the final week before a big play is opened. As a student of drama myself I felt recollections of my own experiences bubbling beneath the surface of my memory, both positive and negative, from the well-meaning stagehand Jacque to the overbearing lead actors and actresses giving Miss Tarne all the trouble that they’re worth. Without telling all the plot is full of flavour and intrigue, right up until the final moments.
The Vulcan theatre is the true star of our story with its dim passageways and claustrophobic actors quarters, its ostentatious stage and the shifty characters found within. The murder of the story doesn’t occur until nearly the end of the tale, and as such we don’t spend a lot of time actually looking for clues, but rather stumbling across them as Tarne travels from person to person and explores the ins and outs of the creaky building, brought to life once more and seeking to forget its tragic past. And this is the hook, of course, when the murder finally does occur it echoes the murderous tragedy that closed it down years ago, and Roderick Alleyn is brought in to put a stop on the case and to close the theatre’s bloody history once and for all.
This is where the wheels start to fall off the proverbial theatre. The characters on the stage and the stage’s character are the stars of the show, but the mystery suffers from being obtuse at best. The clues are laid out in such a manner that figuring out this mystery is only feasibly if you are well studied on the ins and outs of murder mystery tropes, and a little lucky. As I mentioned before the mystery only really comes to the forefront in the last couple of chapters and so the story doesn’t lend itself enough stagetime in the final act to properly wrap things up. A half-hearted attempt is made to justify our murder and then everybody goes home. For our detective Alleyn this is no doubt an internally cathartic mystery, as he was involved in the previous murderous disaster at the Vulcan theatre years prior, but for the reader you’re left with some solid character arcs but a lacking conclusion to the tumultuous tale.
Opening Night at the Vulcan occupies a respectable position at 15th place being an interesting read with a genuine insight into the theatre and the chaos that is the opening week, I myself have a theatre background and I have to say that the feelings Martyn Tarne expresses and the strange cocktail of dread tension and excitement that all of the members of the production proclaim are true to life. For me personally I felt a wave of nostalgia and can tell you that though I’ve never had a murder at one of the plays I’ve been a part of, there’s always at least one moment where murder is considered among the cast. For striking a personal chord I recommend this one to any theatre buffs and fans of Ngaio Marsh’s work, getting to see one of the four great queens of crime in action at the height of her majesty was fascinating but perhaps it would be worth getting to know her detective for more than two and a half chapters.
You can hear our full thoughts on Opening Night at the Vulcan on Death of the Reader's podcast, featuring three weeks of solving, misdirection and discussion.
The Vulcan begins by following the frantic thoughts of our heroine, Martyn Tarne, a young woman who acts as our point of view and as our humanising Watson throughout the story, she is desperate for work and ends up having greatness thrust open her as she finds an important part in the grand re-opening night of the Vulcan theatre. She begins as the makeup lady of the lead actor but ends up on stage for the titular opening night. This leads to various promises and threats kicking off in the background as the characters squabble both openly and quietly over how the play should be handled, and this is one of the great strengths of the work. The book spends the bulk of its time exploring the character dynamics within this theatre and Marsh really works to capture the atmosphere in the final week before a big play is opened. As a student of drama myself I felt recollections of my own experiences bubbling beneath the surface of my memory, both positive and negative, from the well-meaning stagehand Jacque to the overbearing lead actors and actresses giving Miss Tarne all the trouble that they’re worth. Without telling all the plot is full of flavour and intrigue, right up until the final moments.
The Vulcan theatre is the true star of our story with its dim passageways and claustrophobic actors quarters, its ostentatious stage and the shifty characters found within. The murder of the story doesn’t occur until nearly the end of the tale, and as such we don’t spend a lot of time actually looking for clues, but rather stumbling across them as Tarne travels from person to person and explores the ins and outs of the creaky building, brought to life once more and seeking to forget its tragic past. And this is the hook, of course, when the murder finally does occur it echoes the murderous tragedy that closed it down years ago, and Roderick Alleyn is brought in to put a stop on the case and to close the theatre’s bloody history once and for all.
This is where the wheels start to fall off the proverbial theatre. The characters on the stage and the stage’s character are the stars of the show, but the mystery suffers from being obtuse at best. The clues are laid out in such a manner that figuring out this mystery is only feasibly if you are well studied on the ins and outs of murder mystery tropes, and a little lucky. As I mentioned before the mystery only really comes to the forefront in the last couple of chapters and so the story doesn’t lend itself enough stagetime in the final act to properly wrap things up. A half-hearted attempt is made to justify our murder and then everybody goes home. For our detective Alleyn this is no doubt an internally cathartic mystery, as he was involved in the previous murderous disaster at the Vulcan theatre years prior, but for the reader you’re left with some solid character arcs but a lacking conclusion to the tumultuous tale.
Opening Night at the Vulcan occupies a respectable position at 15th place being an interesting read with a genuine insight into the theatre and the chaos that is the opening week, I myself have a theatre background and I have to say that the feelings Martyn Tarne expresses and the strange cocktail of dread tension and excitement that all of the members of the production proclaim are true to life. For me personally I felt a wave of nostalgia and can tell you that though I’ve never had a murder at one of the plays I’ve been a part of, there’s always at least one moment where murder is considered among the cast. For striking a personal chord I recommend this one to any theatre buffs and fans of Ngaio Marsh’s work, getting to see one of the four great queens of crime in action at the height of her majesty was fascinating but perhaps it would be worth getting to know her detective for more than two and a half chapters.
You can hear our full thoughts on Opening Night at the Vulcan on Death of the Reader's podcast, featuring three weeks of solving, misdirection and discussion.
kudeern1's review
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
coops456's review
2.0
My copy - bought from a charity shop - was a 1979 Fontana Books edition entitled Opening Night. Tiny print!
My first experience of Inspector Alleyn but he was more of a background character than I expected, not appearing until page 108 of 192.
My first experience of Inspector Alleyn but he was more of a background character than I expected, not appearing until page 108 of 192.
me2brett's review
3.0
Marsh loved the theatre and her mysteries set in its world are some of the most engaging, as she clearly understood the intricacies of backstage. A fun mystery with a somewhat blah b plot.
rhie's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A solid whodunit!
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
Opening Night (aka Night at the Vulcan; 1951) finds Ngaio Marsh returning to the world of theatre--comfortable home turf for an author who claimed the theatre as her first passion. This time Marsh focuses on the back-stage antics going on as the players at the Vulcan Theater prepare for the opening of a new play by a brilliant, but difficult playwright. We see everything through the vantage point of Martyn Tarne, a young actress-in-waiting who has recently arrived from New Zealand with the hopes of landing a part on a London stage. After making a discouraging round of the theater casting calls, she comes to the Vulcan just a tad too late to audition for a part. She's down to the last bit of her money and has no idea what do when she overhears Bob Grantley, the business manager, frantically calling round for a replacement dresser for Helen Hamilton--the play's leading lady.
Helen's dresser has been rushed to the hospital and Grantley needs a substitute quick. Martyn needs a job--at this point any job will do and she offers herself as dresser. She immediately finds herself in a seething cauldron of backstage emotions and interactions. Helen Hamilton is married to the leading man, Clark Bennington. Bennington is an aging, alcoholic actor who is thoroughly disliked by just about everyone...including his wife. Helen has been having an affair with Adam Poole, the Vulcan's actor-manager. Bennington's niece, Gay Gainsford, has been cast in a rather important role--as a blood relation to Pool's character who (supposedly) looks remarkably like him and is a somewhat depraved version of himself. She's been making a rather bad showing in the part (not helped by the fact that she really looks nothing like Poole) and is having a case of the nerves. Dr. John James Rutherford, the playwright and another thoroughly unpleasant man, is having fits over Gay's inability to play the part, making himself generally disagreeable to all and sundry, and is quoting Shakespeare at everyone. J. G. Darcy and Parry Percival, the remaining actors, add their nerves and emotional outbursts to the mix.
Martyn's arrival doesn't help matters. Because you see, she does look like Poole (they wind up being second cousins or some such) and could absolutely play the part. To Gay's dismay, Martyn is made her understudy in addition to the dresser's role and on opening night, Gay has a fit of hysterics and is unable to go on. Martyn, of course, steps in to save the day and winds up being a sensation. She barely has time to take in her good fortune (and all the applause) when Clark Bennington doesn't show up for his curtain calls and is discovered dead in his dressing room. To the actors, it has every appearance of suicide. But when Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives from the Yard, he is not convinced. And, of course, he and Inspector Fox will find all the clues and discover the culprit.
There were several things that I enjoyed about this one: The opening scenes with Martyn--learning of her journey round the theaters and her bad luck at the auditions; her interactions with the fellow-hard luck actress outside the Vulcan; and her conversations with Fred Badger, the nightwatchman. In fact, I liked Fred Badger so much that I kind of hoped that we'd see more of him. But, alas. Jacko, Adam Poole's right-hand man and jack of all trades is also an interesting character--again, particularly in his interactions with Martyn. Overall, I'd say that I enjoyed the characters' interactions with each other--barring a few jarring exceptions (Gay Gainsford gets on my last nerve, for instance). I really do think Marsh was in her element when writing about the theatre and the people of that world. She creates interesting and realistic characters and it's evident that she's writing from experience.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Helen's dresser has been rushed to the hospital and Grantley needs a substitute quick. Martyn needs a job--at this point any job will do and she offers herself as dresser. She immediately finds herself in a seething cauldron of backstage emotions and interactions. Helen Hamilton is married to the leading man, Clark Bennington. Bennington is an aging, alcoholic actor who is thoroughly disliked by just about everyone...including his wife. Helen has been having an affair with Adam Poole, the Vulcan's actor-manager. Bennington's niece, Gay Gainsford, has been cast in a rather important role--as a blood relation to Pool's character who (supposedly) looks remarkably like him and is a somewhat depraved version of himself. She's been making a rather bad showing in the part (not helped by the fact that she really looks nothing like Poole) and is having a case of the nerves. Dr. John James Rutherford, the playwright and another thoroughly unpleasant man, is having fits over Gay's inability to play the part, making himself generally disagreeable to all and sundry, and is quoting Shakespeare at everyone. J. G. Darcy and Parry Percival, the remaining actors, add their nerves and emotional outbursts to the mix.
Martyn's arrival doesn't help matters. Because you see, she does look like Poole (they wind up being second cousins or some such) and could absolutely play the part. To Gay's dismay, Martyn is made her understudy in addition to the dresser's role and on opening night, Gay has a fit of hysterics and is unable to go on. Martyn, of course, steps in to save the day and winds up being a sensation. She barely has time to take in her good fortune (and all the applause) when Clark Bennington doesn't show up for his curtain calls and is discovered dead in his dressing room. To the actors, it has every appearance of suicide. But when Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives from the Yard, he is not convinced. And, of course, he and Inspector Fox will find all the clues and discover the culprit.
There were several things that I enjoyed about this one: The opening scenes with Martyn--learning of her journey round the theaters and her bad luck at the auditions; her interactions with the fellow-hard luck actress outside the Vulcan; and her conversations with Fred Badger, the nightwatchman. In fact, I liked Fred Badger so much that I kind of hoped that we'd see more of him. But, alas. Jacko, Adam Poole's right-hand man and jack of all trades is also an interesting character--again, particularly in his interactions with Martyn. Overall, I'd say that I enjoyed the characters' interactions with each other--barring a few jarring exceptions (Gay Gainsford gets on my last nerve, for instance). I really do think Marsh was in her element when writing about the theatre and the people of that world. She creates interesting and realistic characters and it's evident that she's writing from experience.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.