Leeds Grand Theatre – until 28 July
3***
Murder, intrigue and red herrings aplenty arrive in Leeds this week as Bill Kenwright’s Classic Thriller Theatre Company arrive to tell the tale of Edgar Wallace’s The Case of the Frightened Lady.
It is very dated, but the old fashioned quaintness add to the charm. With two murders, an attempted murder, a suicide and the discovery that the Frightened Lady was someone different indeed, but if you are a fan of this genre then you will enjoy trying to solve the crime.
Deborah Grant is the aristocratic Lady Lebanon, keeping her upper lip very stiff as she tries to stop the police finding all the skeletons in the closet. Ben Nealon is Lord Lebanon, her son, very foppish and after a good time. He doesn’t want to marry his cousin, Isla (April Pearson) but she wants to marry for love and not for some familial duty.
Denis Lill is the odious Dr Amersham, who I had down as the murderer until he became the second victim! Simon Desborough and Callum Coates add humour as Gilder and Brook, always listening and spying.
Rosie Thomson steals all her scenes as Mrs Tilling the maid who drops some heavy hints as she goes about her duties.
Solving the crimes are Chief Superintendent Tanner, Gray O’Brien, and Detective Sergeant Totti, Oliver Phelps.
This is an ensemble piece with some acting excellence in it, but the problem with adapting huge thrillers into plays means that so much gets cut, and in order to fit The Case of the Frightened Lady into around 2 hours, the nuances, emotions and rising terror get lost leaving more cliches than suspense.
I didn’t guess the murderer or the motive – so if you fancy yourself as an amateur detective The Case of the Frightened Lady is in Leeds until Saturday and on tour around the UK