Nottingham Theatre Royal – until Saturday 30 August 2025
Reviewed by Louise Ford
4****
Art for art’s sake, money for God’s sake.
The theatre company Tab Productions and the Colin McIntyre thriller series have a long association with Nottingham and the Theatre Royal. The first show was back in 1988.
The Business of Murder by Richard Harris, is the final offering in the 2025 season. This adaptation is by Peter Gordon and is directed by Karen Henson.
Set in the 1980s, the story takes place in a first-floor flat in a London suburb.
David Giltbrook is Stone, John Goodrum is Halley, and Sarah Wynne Kordas is Dee.
The whole production is pretty wordy (and the whole cast delivers their lines impeccably), special mention to David Giltbrook, who captures perfectly the “grey” man that no one really notices, until it is too late. The play is nicely balanced as regards action. The first half is particularly engrossing as the audience (or maybe just me) tried to piece together what was going on and second-guess where the story was going. Having said that, there are plenty of clues throughout the story, but the final twist does come as a surprise. As Halley says at one point, in his game, there are three crucial questions “Where? When? Why?”
The story opens with Halley (all Columbo-esque) in a mac and a trilby pacing around the flat, he’s been called there by Stone. Stone has dangled the possibility of an easy collar to get Halley, the weary, seasoned detective, who’s not afraid to resort to a little physical persuasion to get the right result, to the flat. The set is designed by Conan Walsh and contains all of the usual beige suspects, an armchair, a sofa and, of course, a mysterious locked box in the corner.
When Dee enters the scene, in the second half, we are initially unsure what her link is with the other members of the cast. She knocks back the vodka tonics whilst trying to work out why she is there, and just why is Stone’s wife taking so long to get ready?
The best thing about the whole production is the relationship between the cast and the audience. The cast clearly enjoys the production, and the audience are devoted fans of the Summer Thriller Series. A winning combination!