‘Double Indemnity' brings the dangerous criminality and glamour of a Hollywood-based film noir to the stage. Mischa Barton, star of ‘The O.C.' and familiar to British audiences as Reece Sinclair in ‘Neighbours', plays femme fatale Phyllis Nirdlinger. Although based on a novel by James M Cain, it was none other than Raymond Chandler who provided the screenplay to Billy Wilder's celebrated 1944 film adaptation. Chandler's classic private detective novels like ‘The Big Sleep' and ‘The Long Goodbye' set the template for the spate of films noirs that made stars of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and others during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
If you enjoy the sort of story where amoral characters try to survive in a society that is rapidly falling into lawlessness, then ‘Double Indemnity' may be your thing. There are clues as to its inspiration: the back of the Hollywood sign above the stage and Mischa Barton's wavy blonde hair and shimmering red dress, for starters.
A double indemnity is a clause in a life insurance policy that promises to pay out twice the amount in the case of accidental death. ‘Double Indemnity' finds unhappily-married femme fatale Phyllis Nirdlinger (Mischa Barton) conjuring a plot with disaffected life insurance salesman Walter Huff (Ciaran Owens). Together, they agree to murder her husband Mr Nirdlinger (Oliver Ryan). Impressed by their own audacity, once the life insurance policy in Nirdlinger's name has been signed, with the double indemnity clause slipped in without his knowledge, the murderous duo must then bide their time to put their plan into action. With an elaborate rouse conjured to make Nirdlinger's death look like an accidental fall from a train, but one heck of a lot of set-up and reliance on fallible witnesses, will Huff and Phyllis Nirdlinger even go through with it? And if they do, is their alibi tight enough to leave no room for doubt about the cause of death? In the teeth of so much potential adversity, will their love hold fast?
Undoubtedly, ‘Double Indemnity' makes for an intriguing premise. It's hard to say why this production never quite has the audience on the edge of their seats, but I put it down to a combination of factors. Firstly, there aren't any likeable characters. Although Mr Nirdlinger is hot-headed and arrogant, he isn't abusive or monstrous enough to wish death on him. Phyllis Nirdlinger and Walter Huff are written as somewhat arrogant characters who look at their evil plot as a way to get out of an unhappy marriage and make a load of money in the process. It's hard to root for them.
The play also lacks much psychological insight. I wouldn't expect film noir for the stage to borrow from Dostoevsky, but the premise of ‘Crime and Punishment' sees intellectual Raskolnikov commit the perfect murder, ridding society of a bitter old woman nobody would possibly miss. His mistake is not factoring in guilt from his own conscience drowning him. Although there is some good interplay between Mischa Barton and Ciaran Owens, there isn't even the suggestion of an intense relationship that might explain away a crime of passion. Instead, the emotions are surface level. Ciaran Owens plays Walter Huff as a chancer, and Mischa Barton's Phyllis Nirdlinger, excellent in the seduction scenes, remains oddly detached thereafter.
A few scenes feel too long because of static action, which either takes place on a park bench or in a bed. The design works against the flow and pacing of the piece, too. Possibly the rationale was to pack the stage with industrial grey to help Phyllis's blonde hair and red dress stand out all the more radiantly. But this effect soon dwindles, leaving a few too many leaden moments. Perhaps it's also lacking a Philip Marlowe-style world-weary yet oddly moral private eye character that acts as the audience's route through the morass of criminality and human weakness?
There are a few impressive performances from the supporting actors that deserve singling out. Sophia Roberts is terrific as the moral heart of the story, playing Mr Nirdlinger's daughter Lola who develops an affection for Huff. She injects much-needed warmth and sincerity to the play. The audience rightly provided Martin Marquez, playing Huff's boss Keyes, with an impromptu round of applause after his excellent monologue picking holes in an account of accidental death. Roberts and Marquez are entertaining throughout, and they helped to lift the second act.
The frustration with ‘Double Indemnity' is that the intriguing premise, decent cast and legendary film noir background ought to provide enough ingredients for a thoroughly entertaining thriller. While this adaptation has some strengths, they are offset by as many weaknesses. The overall feeling is that similar Chandler-esque stories have made more successful transitions to the stage.
Cast: Mischa Barton, Ciaran Owens, Martin Marquez, Gillian Saker, Joseph Langdon, Oliver Ryan, Sophia Roberts Writers: Tom Holloway, adapting the novel by James M Cain Director: Oscar Toeman Running time: 130 mins including interval Theatre: The Churchill, Bromley Dates: 21st – 25th April 2026 Book ‘Double Indemnity'
