THIS play, the second in the Ian Dickens rep season at the Civic, was written by Richard Stockwell and first performed in August 1997.

It is a departure from the usual fare of whodunits from the Forties and Fifties, which make up the bulk of repertory fare, and there are noticeable differences. I can’t imagine Francis Durbridge or Agatha Christie villains nailing somebody to the door of a burning warehouse, for example. There’s a bit of snogging going on as well, which you tend not to see from the more genteel playwrights of yesteryear.

Huw Higginson, a stalwart of TV’s The Bill, and former EastEnder Hannah Waterman are a great team, as demonstrated by their performance in last week’s Rattle Of A Simple Man. These characters are totally different, but the rapport between the actors remains and makes for another excellent evening’s entertainment.

The plot has its twists and turns, and some gunfire in the second half (you have been warned), but the ending seems weak, which is a pity. The perfect murder? I don’t think the evidence will stand up in court.

However, Higginson and Waterman are accomplished enough to make these complex characters interesting, even likeable, and that’s an achievement in a cast of only two.

Next week, Write Me A Murder, starring Leslie Grantham. Can’t wait.

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