Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10
Cast: Ben Cutler, Fiona Wade, Peter Ash, George Rainsford, Gemma Stroyan, Adam Morris, Jodie Steele, Nicholas Maude, Mark Oxtoby, Valentina Arena, Ross Telfer.
A person will kill for a whole host of reasons, they will do it for love, for revenge, for money, and anger, the motives are often observed to be simple, straightforward, and often they are clouded by detail and unfathomable causes; but none perhaps are as perplexing as those which are committed in the name of ownership in an object, especially in art, for who would kill to have possession of an item that they would never be able to show another human being.
To kill for ownership, no matter the value of the item will seem to the vast majority as a the embodiment of insanity, to murder for the sake of something that will never appreciate you, judge you, or even in the case of revenge, thank you, is a damning indictment on your facility to act in a rational human way.
Peter James’ tale of greed, misdirection and the calculating way that the art world can be embroiled in a system where forgery itself is an art form is presented in the stage play of Picture You Dead, and whilst the story itself has merit, the crime of framing the cynicism behind the way value is placed on a painting seemingly lost for centuries, it nevertheless feels cold, unable to stoke any type of true threat and resolution aside from the telegraphed ending that slightly satisfies the need for schadenfreude and seeing a plan come to naught.
The feeling of underwhelming heart is a palpable feature across the play, and whilst on screen the presence of Roy Grace is a commanding quiet and under the skin rage, it is an unfortunate position for an actor to attempt to place their talent against, and with the stage ambitiously and effectively split in three showcasing the main characters domicile and working environments, the fact that the detectives were shown to be uncomfortable in each setting added to the Achillies heel and vulnerability of the lead.
Picture You Dead has set itself a high standard and lofty ideals into holding the tremendous way that Peter James’ work is adapted for the screen, but it one that unfortunately does not completely capture the truth behind murder, one that many will find troubled as they tackle the intricacy of killing in the name of possession.
Ian D. Hall