Strictly Murder – Review

Should you be in the mood for a taut, theatrical thriller then Strictly Murder at The Questors Theatre in Ealing should satisfy your appetite.

Set on the cusp of the Second World War, the two-act play, located in a cottage in Provence, is performed with pace and, in places, humour. There is a sense of intimacy and isolation from the start.

A murder and unanswered questions in the first act are succeeded by a more foreboding second act which delivers on twist and thrills. Nothing is quite what it seems. Nor is anybody quite who they seem.

The two leads, playing an unmarried British couple living in France, are engaging and hold the production together, especially Sophie Platts-Martin. The actress captures our sympathy and admiration from the start, exuding elegance, wit and timing. The leads are ably supported by Anthony Foran, Sarah Morrison and Tim Pemberton – who each add some colour and intrigue to proceedings.

The war – and an air of tragedy and something more sinister – hang over the plot like the Sword of Damocles.

The young lady next to me both laughed during the first act and gasped more than once during the second. Strictly Murder hits its mark. I hope the production has been suitably successful and crime pays.

Richard Foreman is a publisher and bestselling historical novelist.