4 STARS, November 15-18. This comedy-thriller offers laughs and gasps in equal measure and is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat
James Beedham Photography
Salisbury Playhouse’s touring revival of Ira Levin’s 1978 comedy-thriller, Deathtrap, is fiendishly clever and witty making it impossible to predict all the plot twists. Ira Levin is perhaps best known for thrillers such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives, but Deathtrap rightly deserves its record for the longest-running Broadway comedy-thriller in history.
The action revolves around an ageing playwright, Sidney Bruhl (Paul Bradley) who is struggling with his diminishing success. Set in his weapon filled home, which he shares with his wife of eleven years Myra (Jessie Wallace), he invites a young promising playwright Clifford (Sam Philips) to discuss his new thriller “Deathtrap”, and the scene is set. Desperate to revitalise his own reputation, Bruhl contemplates killing the young writer and passing Deathtrap, which he believes to be a certain hit, off as his own. This play within a play starts with a bang and the pace doesn’t drop. What at first you may expect to be a predictable storyline doesn’t fail to surprise with its many twists, acted out by a talented cast of five.
Sam Phillips as the young writer, Clifford Anderson, embroiled in a farfetched plot is both believable and extremely entertaining. One of his best moments is an explosive monologue in the second act in which he dramatically recaps on the events to date. Paul Bradley’s portrayal of Sidney Bruhl as a bitter has-been, consumed with jealousy, is convincing and his delivery, both comedic and chilling is spot on. The two work superbly together and the energy is palpable.
James Beedham Photography
An over the top, faintly ridiculous, performance of mystic Helga ten Dorp by Beverley Klein sets up much of the plot and the performance is pivotal to the script. It turns out to be (spoiler alert!) probably the most theatrical death scene of all time and this funny, lively portrayal brings comedic relief.
Whilst the first half might take a while to warm up, the same cannot be said for the second. The audience are on the edge of their seats with the many plot reversals and unexpected turn of events as the plot thickens and all is not what it seems.
The action takes place in one room and the set is extremely effective -the lighting, sound and music all add to the tension. The play’s scene changes make use of a large video screen, showing clips from old Hollywood thrillers. It’s a clever interlude which builds suspense and blurs the reality between the theatrical stage thrillers, and the “real life” murders occurring before our very eyes.
Be prepared for a few jumps and to be thoroughly entertained from start to finish in this wonderful play- if the suspense is killing you be sure to head to Richmond Theatre before the end of the run.
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