“A Touch Of Danger” by Tabs Productions
Nottingham Theatre Royal

The second instalment of Colin McIntyre’s Classic thriller Season 2018, now in its’ 30th year, is a classic Francis Durbridge’s “A Touch Of Danger” and in contrast, but on a par with last week's excellent Season opener.

Max Telligan, a popular novelist, returns to his London apartment from a business trip to Munich when he finds his evening newspaper contains a report of his violent death.

As the evening goes on, Max is greeted by a parade of mysterious visitors as it becomes increasingly clear that he has, it seems, unwittingly become embroiled in the activities of an international terrorist group!

We've come to expect a top notch cast and that does not fail us this week either. Susan Earnshaw (Liz Ferber - Max's secretary), Jacqueline Gilbride (Harriet Telligan - the estranged wife), David Martin (Jeff Seago - the golf ace), John Goodrum (Max Telligan), Andrew Fettes (Vincent Crane), David Callister (Lloyd Mitchell), Jeremy Lloyd-Thomas (Graham Digby), Emma Vickery(Connie Palmer - Seago's partner), Charlie Henderson- Howat (Rose).

Directed by Karen Henson, the play is nicely paced and keeps you guessing right up to the end, although there are clues to the guilty party/parties dropped as the play unravels.

The set, designed by Geoff Gilder, is typical of the 1980's, where the play is set as are the costumes, also by Geoff.

Everything is timed to perfection with the lighting design by Michael Donoghue and sound design by David Giltbrook. The scene changes are assisted by the closing of the curtains with musical accompaniment to allow the stage managers to rearrange the stage and to dispose of the bodies, and gives the audience to quickly compare notes as to who is behind this cleverly written plot. Well it is Francis Durbridge after all!

Wonderfully entertaining, and for once I got close to guessing who was behind it all, but not until close to the end.

“A Touch Of Danger” is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 11 August 2018.