Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Martin Compston, Meera Syal, Douglas Henshall, Sharon Rooney, Chaneil Kular, Amit Shah, Aoife Kennan, Rob Malone, Wil Coban, Eion Duffy, Holly Harmon, Christina Bennington, Doireann McNally, Owen Teale, Catherine Walker, Niamh Walsh, Payal Mistry, Taru Devani.
Revenge is a dish best served with consequences understood, that by taking down those that wrong you can lead to a cost to your own soul, it can be the moment where the challenge of boundary will make you the perfect villain in the eyes of all; if though you can face that eventuality then why contemplate the act of reprisal on your own, the nature of vengeance as a solo effort, surely it is a better experience as part of like-minded group, The Revenge Club.
Divorce is bitter, emotional, draining, it is an aspect of modern life that claims to be a freeing experience but is almost always the opposite, it fuels negativity, it damages the mind and the soul, and whilst it absolutely is the right path to follow, in many cases it never the less brings out the worst in people; and how that is explored in tragi-comedy-thriller style in Gabbie Asher’s, Matt Jones’ and Adam Usden’s adaption of J.D. Pennington’s The Othello Club is almost like immersing yourself into shock therapy of just how others of a like-minded disposition will push you into digging your own grave.
Starring Martin Compston, Meera Syal, Douglas Henshall, and a tremendous performance from Aimee-Ffion Edwards as the recently replaced Emily Hunter, The Revenge Club is an end of year treat for those able to receive it on its streaming platform, indeed it the kind of offering that once upon a time would have sat well on any terrestrial channel and would have been lauded for its twists and turns and had viewers tuning in in droves to watch the machinations of love’s rejected hearts dream of karmic revenge.
Whilst not leaning too heavily on the comedy there are aspects of the series which the viewer cannot but help themselves to find the funny side of the expressions and consequences dealt, revenge is not all death and dishonesty after all it is revelling in the misfortune of those who spurned you, who may have hurt you; and The Revenge Club deals with those moments with a gracious manner.
It is in the finale of the series that the darkest corners are revealed, the arc of murder completed, and it goes to prove that actors truly command a scene, a series when they go up against type and the viewer’s preconceived idea of their persona. A truly enjoyable series filled with gallows’ humour and insight into how rejection can send people over the edge.
Ian D. Hall