Classic Broadway black comedy from the Thriller Season crew
Deathtrap ran for 4 years on Broadway from 1978, with nearly 1800 shows, so has a big hitting reputation in comedy thriller circles. The intricate play-within-a-play format from Ira Levin (of Rosemary’s Baby and Stepford Wives fame) also hit the big screen as the run drew to a close, with Michael Caine in the lead role of flop haunted murder mystery author Sidney Bruhl, it's well worth a gander.
So, a nice darker step for the middle show of this year’s ever popular Classic Thriller Season then, after last week’s gag fest Death by Fatal Murder. It’s a steady box ticker of a thriller, awash with plot twists, genre homage and suspenseful end-of-scene cliffhangers amongst the black comedy.
18 years on from his last successful show, despondent and decidedly bitter playwright Sidney Bruhl’s fruitless quest for inspiration has been propped up with a bit of seminar work for aspiring writers, a well stocked drinks tray and the ebbing coffers of his wife.
When a play hits his desk from one of his aspiring seminar students, Sidney is quick to spot a hit, gallingly so. While relaying this to his wife, under a study wall festooned with murder weapons from previous books, he jokingly suggests perhaps he should kill young Clifford to swipe the Deathtrap script.. There is laughter and reassurances but Sidney dwells on the possibilities and details like only a whodunnit author can, to wife Myra’s increasing discomfort.
Perhaps they could collaborate, suggest Myra? Sharing in the surefire success? Get him over, for a chat, try not to plan his death too much? After a contrived phone call, Clifford arrives for a meeting, where is Sidney going with it? Can he help himself? Myra is wound up like a clock and feeling unwell. Young Clifford is starting to get suspicious. Is it Murder o'clock yet?
The noisy arrival of the larger-than-life comic foil Helga Ten Dorp (Susan Earnshaw) as visiting psychic from the cottage next door, gives a flamboyant stay of execution as she stamps about in sensible boots and woollens dishing out dark portents. Her periodic visits a preposterous highlight. So, there is going to be a murder isn’t there? With an unexpected twist? You bet. Act two even twistier and suspense riddled? Naturally. We know what we're here for.
Polo necked Sidney is played with dry bitterness by Andrew Ryan, heading up the cast of five as events unfold in his writer’s retreat study. It’s a convincing country house space from set designer Conal Walsh and enjoys some great lighting from Michael Donoghue, particularly the character monologues by spot light.
Pavan Maru is the aspiring Clifford, full of apparently straight laced small town American enthusiasm, yet there is a tantalising whiff of a deeper chemistry between the writers old and new, oh they are missing a trick there. The possibilities. Familiar Thriller Season faces Sarah Wynne Kordas and Jeremy Lloyd Thomas cover Sidney’s increasingly anxious wife Myra, and Sidney’s lawyer, reassuringly good as always.
The intricacy levels of this show-within-a-show, packed with thriller genre references and playwright craft nods, does drag things out in places. It’s a lot to sell. Fortunately, our seasoned cast carry it off with some solid performances all round. For a repertory theatre team smashing out three shows in three weeks they do a very respectable job of this overly complex caper, not to mention the American accents. Thriller fans will enjoy.
Classic Thriller Season - Deathtrap plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Saturday 23 August 2025.
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