"Strangers On A Train" by Craig Warner.

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

It's always a joy to see something for the first time, and to get so much out of a play. as I have with this one. I decided not to watch the 1951 Hitchcock film of the same name, mainly because I wanted this to be my first introduction to the story. I now want to watch the film to see if it's as good as this production.

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Guy Haines and Charles Bruno meet on a train and, because they are strangers, they think they can say anything while chatting. Bruno suggests that they could get away with murder-he could kill Guy's unfaithful wife while Guy could eliminate his hated father, and they would never have to see each other ever again. Guy does not take him seriously, but Bruno is deadly serious....

Lewis Bowkett plays Charles Bruno. You can see the effect that Bruno has on Haines after that first meeting as strangers. Back in the 1940's/1950's stalking was not criminally recognised, but Bruno is, to all lengths, a stalker. Finding out information about Haines, where he lives, who he mixes with, his friends, his wife, his lover, his telephone number, inventing a back story of how they may have met, sending Haines letters and threatening him. The pressure that Bruno puts on Haines is colossal, and you get this feeling that Bruno may just have a crush on Haines with some of the comments he comes out. 

Lewis successfully brings out the danger in Bruno as he infiltrates the inner sanctum of Haines' personal life, turning the thumb screws with every move and action. Handsome people are possibly the most dangerous because they can use their looks and charm to get what they want, so you can see why Lewis was cast as Bruno.

Guy Haines is played by Polis Loizou. Haines is a successful architect, and from that very first meeting with Bruno, you could tell that he didn't want to share his personal life, even with a stranger, but share he did, falling into Bruno's trap. What are the chances of faux promises with a stranger actually coming to fruition after you've left the compartment to get on with your life. Let's face it, we've all promised we'll keep in touch with workmates when you leave for another job, or met people when on holiday; you don't really mean that you're going to be best buddies for the rest of your life, now do you? Never mind promising to kill a member of the stranger's family in return for the same! 

Polis is so good at bringing out that inner terror through to frustration that, should he perform the "tit for tat" murder, that will be the end of their association. You could feel the pressure cooker inside Haines through Polis's acting. 

Sarah Taylor plays Elsie Bruno. Now, this is an interesting relationship between mother and son, almost an Oedipus complex that doesn't quite get that far, and almost like the one way bromance between Bruno and Haines, creating wonderfully dark offshoots to the main storyline. Elsie's actions and reaction in the second half comes as quite a relief.

Anne Faulkner is played by Emily Stribbling. Anne is Haines' new wife, the woman he wants to be with, and not the person that is discharged at the hands of Bruno. Faulkner is a real keeper as she steadfastly stands by her man, even at the end of the play. 

Reiss Jones plays Frank Myers, a loyal friend of the newlyweds, who of course knows nothing of the deadly pact, and therefore manages to drip feed, in the few scenes that he is in, what may come in the near future.

Robert Treacher, Haines' best friend, who he says was his friend from college times as a room share, is played by Richard Fife. This, according to Haines, is an explanation for something that is received in the post, which we then discover may be a bit of a red herring explanation, but it'll all become clear when you see the production.

Arthur Gerard is played by Fraser Wanless. Gerard worked for Bruno's father as security; a former cop on the payroll who starts to nosy around a bit too much for Charlie's liking after picking holes in some of the things that Charles is saying.

Directed by Claire Chouby, this is a beautifully stylised piece of theatre that keeps you on the edge of your seats, especially if like me you've not seen the film or read the novel. The idea to have the actors on stage move the props around for the scene changes is perfect as this keeps the scene changes sharp and well paced. The film noir genre can be difficult to recreate on stage but you really get the sense of intimidation and threat between the two leads, as well as the innocence from everyone else on the outside.

The set design is by Guy Evans. Another stylish touch, which also echoes back to something quoted from the book that Haines was reading on the train when the pair first met. The monochrome set resembled train tracks and worked so well as simple interior design for the stylish homes of Haines and Bruno, never distracting from the story itself, but always reminding you of that first meeting.

Sound design is by Darren Coxon. The effects are timed to perfection; I particularly noted that when the phone receiver was lifted, the ringing stopped straight away. The music bites were also relevant to the time period.

Lighting design is by Nick Gale, assisted by Orla Gordon-Carter, and as with the sound, everything was just so naturally lit; the scene changes faded to black and then faded back up, and the scene with the train passing was made ever more realistic by the light sequence shone through the set design creating just the right image.

The costumes are sourced by Max Bromley. You just know that if Max is in charge of the wardrobe that you're in for something special. He puts the style into stylish and I loved the suits that all the male characters wore, and there were quite a few changes, some really swift. The costumes for the ladies were equally as stunning, again creating that feel of the era. Apart from the men's suits, I absolutely loved the black and red blazer that Bruno wore.

For me, the test of a good thriller is realising that the end has come and not realising the time elapsed from walking into the auditorium, to walking out. This production completely drew me in, and before I knew it the cast were taking their final bows. Having not seen the original film, I didn't know the ending, but I had in mind what that would be. What I didn't get right though was the lead up to the ending, which I won't divulge because you'll need to see the show for yourself.

Oh, and I loved the accents throughout.

Another impeccable production.

"Strangers On A Train" is at the Lace Market Theatre but tickets are going as fast as a steam train!!