"Who Killed Agatha Christie" by Tabs Productions

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

The Colin McIntyre Classic Thriller Season is here again with three more thrilling productions delivered by the Kings and Queens of comedy thrillers, Tabs Productions. This season kicks off with a thriller that has nothing at all to do with the Queen of Thriller Literature, Agatha Christie.

The year is 1978. Playwright John Terry invites caustic theatre critic Arthur “Agatha” Christie to help him expose the suspected affair of their respective partners, Joanne and Brian. It soon transpires that John's motive is so much more than this, and his goal is much more sinister...

This Tudor Gates written two-hander stars John Goodrum (John Terry) and David Gilbrook (Arthur Christie).

Terry's wife, Joanne, is having an affair with the younger boyfriend of Christie's, Brian Coombes, and Terry has a plan to commit the perfect murder to avenge both partners. Terry has proof of the affair, which he plays to Christie as part of a live feed; the result of a pre-planned deception.

As the play progresses, Terry becomes more and more unhinged as he reveals his plans, but how can Terry commit the perfect murder when he doesn't actually kill anyone?

A thriller though is nothing without the twists and turns in the plot line, so just wait until they start to show!

Christie looks the part of the retro reviewer, wide brimmed hat, cravat, raincoat, open necked shirt and scarf, and although he puts the critic into criticise, you start to feel just a little bit for him, as what he had written in the past, all seems to be a distant memory for him, as he has trouble recalling his causticity. Terry though revels in reminding him of all the comments made in print of the plays that Terry had been involved in.

Loved the description and dissection of the role of a critic - I'm so pleased that I class myself as a reviewer as opposed to a critic - which has helped push Terry just a little closer to the edge of revenge. It's at this stage that you start to think that there is more to this thriller than first meets the eye and the death of the cheating partners could be a by-product of his main intention.

This is a slow burner of a thriller with it simmering nicely in the first act and coming to the boil by the end of the play. Right to the very end of the play.

I have never been any good at pre-empting endings and I am useless where twists are concerned; which make plays like these so much fun to watch. The final twist, which actually comes as the final line of the play is priceless.

Directed by Karen Henson, she keeps the story so edge of the seat and drip feeds everything so perfectly. The cast have been together so long that they all know how to give tense performances which is exactly want the audiences want in a comedy thriller. The comedy in this play comes from the unhinged mind of Terry and his own critique of Christie's past work.

Both John and David, as I mentioned previously, have the natural feel of being stage buddies for many years now, so they know exactly how to bounce off, and work with each other, therefore the chemistry between the playwright and the critic has a natural growing and suspicious unease. Both actors know exactly how to present characters as these two, because they have had the experience over the many years they've played opposite each other.

The set design, by Sarah Wynne Kordas, is wonderfully retro, with brown walls of various shades and a reel-to-reel tape recorder, garish chairs, brown bookcases and props straight out of the 1970s. It does not take much to send you back to those days with the whole feel of the Earls Court flat that the play is set in.

David Gilbrook is also the sound designer, and one thing that you notice with Tabs Productions is the perfect placement of the sound effects. They make you feel that the sounds are in other rooms; the door shutting and being unlocked, the bathroom cabinet being broken etc. They give distance and scope, making everything even more three dimensional.

John Goodrum is the lighting designer, and in Act Two there is a scene which reminded be a bit of "Carrie", although not with red lighting, but still really chilling. Go see the play to discover what I mean!

Another massive hit in my opinion, but then again Tabs Productions have never missed for me. It has just the right amount of comedy and the perfect number of thrills to warrant being classed as a comedy thriller. Who'd be a critic eh?

"Who Killed Agatha Christie" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 16 July and in my humble opinion, is absurdly good!