In this second show of the classic thriller season we’re cast back into a world of flares, fawn suits and confusing carpets for a 70s style murder mystery.

The story is set in the tastefully furnished living room of Sarah and Jack Radford, an affluent middle class couple who own a prosperous estate agents in a county town. While Jack is entrusted with the day to day runnings of the business it is his wife Sarah and her brother Edward who actually own the family firm. When Edward uncovers Jack’s murky offshore dealings Jack finds a way to keep him quiet, permanently. Only one inheritance away from owning the show Jack develops a devious scheme to murder his wife but as his plan comes together things go horribly wrong.

This is more of a thoughtful Poirot style whodunnit than edge of your seat thriller, with the plot carefully building the detail around the main suspect characters and their potential motives until all is revealed at the end of the show.

The small cast put on some some great characters for us. Notable performances included the increasingly manic tension of Sarah played by Jo Castleton and her 70s moustachioed husband Jack played with villanious aplomb by Jeremy Lloyd Thomas. I also enjoyed the creeping meekness of office lackey Geoffrey and the 'seen it all before' CID mither of Patric Kearns as Detective Cliff Jordan. Good performances all round.

The overall kipper tie and cuban heeled feel to the show was well balanced, with the costumes and set pretty accurate without straying too far into 70s stereotyping. Those 70s social aspirations fitting well into the Francis Durbridge formula of respectable middle class folk getting caught up with dastardly murders and then trying to squirm their way out of it. A popular formula indeed it was after all prime time stuff prior to the advent of celebrity detective series such as Inspector Morse and Beregerac.

Overall this is a good show and the frequent twists, turns and occasional giggle will keep your attention and guesswork on the boil till the end, the final outcome isn’t a huge revelation but this is undoubtedly entertaining viewing.

Deadly Nightcap plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal from Monday 11 August to Saturday 16 August 2008.

Theatre Royal website

 

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