"Underneath The Lintel" by Glen Berger.

Karuna Productions.
Nottingham Arts Theatre (Studio).

I've not seen this play before, and it surprises me why it's not been performed locally previously, or as far back as I can remember, because this is a masterclass in storytelling.

This is a one woman show and Marilyn Ann Bird is spellbinding in how she holds the audiences' attention for the full eighty minutes that we are he captured by her picture painting as she weaves her magic via this time travelling mystery that all revolves around the return of a library book. That in itself may not be the most interesting theme to base a play around, but this particular library book was taken out over 100 years previous. Imagine the fine on that one!

Marilyn takes the role of this middle-aged Dutch librarian who arrives at work one day to find an overdue book has been returned, but placed incorrectly in the "overnight slot". Irritated, the librarian examines the offending book, a travel guide, to discover that it's also overdue - by a mere 138 years.

This is only the starting point of the story as the Librarian makes it her goal to find out who the culprit is who took the book out and returned it so tardily. Hang on though, the date stamp in the book was from 138 years previously, so who exactly is she searching for?

An intriguing mystery turns into an obsession that takes her around the world, via China, Australia and London, trying to track down whoever it was responsible in a whodunnit mystery that has to be seen to be believed.

The staging is set out as if the Librarian, we never know her real name, just her job title, is giving a talk publicly, maybe even in a library. She has a box of "scraps", or "evidences" with which her story is woven around. She discovers that the book was loaned to someone simply called "A." with a post office box in China as their address. Our librarian turned detective discovers a laundry ticket dated 1913 within the returned travel guide and decides to ask for leave from her job to start her hunt. Unfortunately for her, the leave is denied, so she throws a sickie, but is found out and eventually loses her job.

All of this is the starting point of a story where we find out more about the Librarian. But does she discover who is behind the extended book loan? Come on, you don't really think I'm going to answer that one do you?

The eighty minute show flew by, thanks to Marilyn Ann, who is on stage all throughout the eighty minutes, and there were times that I closed my eyes to imagine the journey that the Librarian took us on in my head - so if anyone glanced around and saw me with my eyes shut, I wasn't asleep, I was on a virtual journey across the world with the Librarian as my tour guide.

Alongside the mystery element and the adventure, there are some important messages to take away from the story of "The Wandering Jew" and the side serving of race, faith and belief elements.

Directed by Chris Sims, who also had a couple of minor interjections in the story also. This is Chris' debut as a professional Director; I've seen Chris's directorial skills as a non- professional, and they were just as captivating as this professional job. I, like many other people, love to be told a story and to follow the narrator in my mind, so this piece of theatre is a perfect vehicle for anyone who loves to listen, with the added pleasure of the visual element as well.

Stage managed by Kathy Bobkowska with Katie Evans as Designer. I got there early and fell in love with the stage design. There are so many props involved and some gorgeous pieces on stage, many I discovered belong to Chris Sims. It's like being in one of those classy auction houses, or an upmarket charity shop, or "pre-loved" as they now prefer to be called.

Light, Sound and Projection are all thanks to Esther Warren.

Producer is Laurie Owen.

"Underneath The Lintel" can be seen in The Studio section of the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Saturday 24 October.

Photography by Grace Eden Photography.