Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford – until 11th June 2022
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
4****
The ink is still drying on this contemporary political thriller. Crime writer Hilary Bonner debuts her first play, rewritten four times to keep it relevant, before reaching the stage. The opening scenes could be taken from today’s national news headlines, they are so fresh.
As an audience we enter any thriller, settling into an investigative ‘who dunnit’ mind set. Dead Lies does not disappoint and has the added strength of a daring current political setting. This includes women at front and centre of the story line, providing contrasting dark and light characters, rather than used as a device for a male orientated plot. Portia Booroff (Jo George) develops her character, building Jo into a dangerously passionate, formidable finale. Alicia Charles (Kate Compton) presents integrity and honesty in a murky world of scandal and lies. All through Jeremy Edwards (Peter George) is believable in his portrayal of a politician we all wish for, hope for and want to believe in. Even he in the end is tripped up by his own promises and past indiscretions. Some of Andrew McDonald’s (Alan Parfit) delivery is not 100% clear, which is hard when delivering important dialogue. However, Andrew transports the audience back to an era when tabloids and the paparazzi were at their worst. He is a news editor always after a good story, balancing this with his endeavours to print the truth.
This is a grown up thriller that keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. A great first foray for Hilary Bonner, into the tough world of thriller writing. She manages to raise the bar above your average ‘whodunnit’ murder mystery.