DIAL M for Murder and Wait Until Dark are among the thrillers also written by Frederick Knott and this, Ian Dickens’ penultimate production in the Civic’s summer repertory season, is as intriguing as either, with an amusing twist at the end.
As the play opens, Lord Rodingham is dying, and his elder son, Clive, has already flogged the family seat and surrounding countryside to self-made toff Charles Sturrock.
The younger Rodingham, literary houseboat-dweller David, is horrified at the sale, particularly when he meets Sturrock and witnesses the way he treats his intelligent and charming young wife, Julie.
Leslie Grantham has a knack with unpleasant characters, and his performance as Sturrock certainly has everyone wishing that someone would bump him off; it seems that young David is happy to oblige. But with half the play still to go, it’s clear that all will not go according to plan, and although the build-up is slow, the twists and turns of the plot make the wait worthwhile.
Paul Opacic seems rather half-hearted in his rendition of Clive, while Christopher Villiers wins sympathy as David. The ladies walk off with the acting honours in this production.
Helen Weir is excellent as thoroughly decent family doctor Liz Woolley, unwittingly a key element of the murder plot, and Maxine Gregory wins the audience over as wideeyed innocent Julie.
The plot springs the odd leak here and there, but overall it’s an amusing evening’s entertainment.
■ Until Saturday. Box Office: 01325-486555
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