"Looking Good Dead" by Peter James

Nottingham Theatre Royal

This is the latest in Peter James' series of Detective Inspector Roy Grace novels to hit the stage, and has been adapted from the novel by Shaun McKenna and Directed by Jonathan O' Boyle.

I have a confession to make. I've never read a Peter James novel, but after tonight, I think I'm going to have to seek out the set of Roy Grace novels and read them as I love a good thriller with a clever twist and this play ticks all the boxes for me.

After picking up a USB memory stick, left behind by another passenger on a train seat, Tom Bryce inadvertently becomes a witness to a vicious murder. Bryce's son reports the crime to the police, but by doing this it has disastrous consequences which results in placing him and his family in grave danger. When Detective Superintendent Roy Grace becomes involved, he tries to crack the case in time to save the Bryce family’s lives. But like every good thriller, there is a twist, or several twists revealed at the end. One I anticipated but the others, I did not see coming at all.

The family have their separate issues with Kellie spending beyond the family budget and a penchant for voddie, Tom having money issues with the business he has set up, Max having to wear headphones that block out noise to escape the constant arguing between his parents and a son that left home to climb the Himalayas to escape Kellie and Tom. Joe, the absent son, is Max's step-brother, and after Max turns to him for advice is told to keep out of it and not to visit the "snuff movie" site again.

Adam Woodyatt, who everyone knows from his role as Ian Beale in Eastenders, plays Tom Bryce. I will openly admit that I've not been an avid Eastenders fan for many years now but I have always though that Adam is a wonderful actor, and he proves his acting skills in this play. His stressed husband role from Walford translates perfectly to the role of Bryce, but saying that I didn't see Ian Beale on stage, I saw Tom Bryce.

Laurie Brett, who will also be known from her Eastenders role, Jane Beale, plays Kellie Bryce. They have certainly perfected the husband and wife connection over the years haven't they? My one and only criticism with the character is that, and this is in no way a spoiler because it was inevitable, when Kellie was kidnapped and chained up, Kellie could have made more of a struggle, and if that had been me, I'd have been absolutely livid! I'll say no more.

Luke Ward-Wilkinson plays their seventeen-year-old son, Max Bryce, who helps Tom open the link on the USB stick, which reveals the live stream of the murder. Luke, in real life is a bit older than his character, but he portrays the typical seventeen-year-old accurately.

Harry Long plays the part of Roy Grace, the hero of the play, carefully unravelling the clues that emerge throughout, reaching the right destination, with a little help of yet another plot twist!

Grace's sidekick, Glenn Branson, the wisecracking bobby, and I have it on good authority - from reading the DCI Stark novels by another brilliant crime writer, Keith Wright - that the corny jokes cracked at the victim's expense does really go on within the confines of a police station environment. I think it is called "banter".

The DC assigned to protecting the Bryce family is Bella Moy, played by Gemma Stroyan, totally believable in her role.

The initial murder is of a sex-worker called Janie, played by Natalie Boakye, and I'm not sure why it is but, even though she could see her death approaching, she did not seem to struggle much. I feel that such a horror would mean that you'd do everything in your power to try and escape it, but the females in the line of danger seemed to underplay the fight to survive. If I had been the director, I would have wanted them to fight like a cat, kick out, scratch, scream and acknowledge the terror element.

Mylo McDonald plays Mick, the sadistic murderer, dressed all in black complete with black ski mask, straight away giving a menacing persona from the off. I was fooled by the Irish accent, as Mylo perfected the gentle Irish lilt perfectly.

And finally, and there is a reason I left this bit until last, the role of Jonas Kent, the American who was to save Bryce's business from closure, was played by understudy Armani Watt, another actor who carries off another accent with great conviction, and accuracy. At the final bows Adam Woodyatt motioned for Armani to step forward to take a solo bow; now I thought that this may be because of him being the understudy, but referring to the programme after the show saw that Armani was playing to a home crowd as he is from Nottingham.

The clever set design is by Michael Holt and sets the majority of the action within the Bryce's open plan living space. Behind this space is a raised section where the rest of the action unfolds. This section, when lit, leaves the lower section in darkness, making the upper stage appear as if viewing the action on a movie screen. The lighting design is by Jason Taylor.

There is a subtle soundscape throughout the play, with parts really ramping up the approaching menace giving a feeling of expectation and unease. the composer and sound design by Max Pappenheim.

Apart from the fact that I'd have liked to seen more passion from Kellie and Jeanie in the sight of danger, my only other niggle was the fight choreography as it seemed a trifle staged and needed, in my opinion, to have more "oomph".

That said I really enjoyed the adaptation, and any adaptation from book to stage is not an easy task, and was genuinely surprised by the twists. The menace was there and this situation did not seem as far-fetched as one audience member commented on behind me. This could realistically happen with the right twisted mind!

"Looking Good Dead" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 26 March.