The Perfect Murder, Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham - Review

It all starts with a man telling his favourite prostitute that his wife doesn't understand him so he's going to murder her. He works as an IT manager in an egg-box factory but his chief pastimes are watching detective plays on the telly and baking cakes, both of which might well come in handy.

Adapted from the Peter James story of the same name, The Perfect Murder is a thriller rather than a whodunit. And what with the skulduggery, the twists and turns, and the black humour, it makes an entertaining piece of escapism. There's even an element of the supernatural thrown into the mix.

And some sex. There was a warning notice in the foyer that the play contains partial nudity. But your reviewer must have blinked in the wrong place because he didn't see any sort of nudity, partial or otherwise.

Performances are strong. Victor, the would-be killer, with his creepy mood swings and sinister expressions, is played with gusto by Ian Currie. And Jemma Froggitt is a terrific Joan, the other half of the dead marriage. Half the time she's a bag of nerves. Turns out she's having a protracted fling with Don (Steve Mitchell) a taxi-driver who keeps using rhyming slang.

Sophie Owen is an entirely convincing Kamila, the Croatian working girl. It's a subtle, un-clichéd performance; and the accent is good. And wearing what looks alarmingly like a fifties Teddy Boy jacket, Matthew Finkel is an entirely unconvincing Detective-Constable Grace. This isn't Finkel's fault; detectives in Thrillerland are always unrealistic.

A split level set with two distinct locations, a well-used bedroom and a kitchen/diner, facilitates efficient scene changing in a highly episodic play.

Directed by Chris Sims, The Perfect Murder is implausible hokum of course, but in these troubled times there's nothing wrong with that.

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Perfect Murder at the Lace Market Theatre

The opening night of the internationally known crime novelist Peter James’ classic thriller The Perfect Murder at the cosy Lace Market Theatre certainly tickled that morbid funny bone of mine.

The play, which is based on a husband and wife and their flawed, and often funny, secret plans to kill each other, delivered fluffy 70’s and 80’s style comic gags along with a classic Whodunnit? vibe. The stage adaptation of the Number 1 bestselling novel takes technically difficult staging, characters and scripting and relies heavily on the comical delivery of its main characters; Victor Smiley, played by Ian Currie, his wife Joan, played by Jemma Froggitt and Victor’s Eastern European psychic prostitute Kamila, played by Nottingham’s own up and coming star of the show, Sophie Owen.

The play starts off with a slow pace, introducing us to the already bitter Victor addressing the audience about his plans to kill his long suffering wife. We jump straight into the storyline with no holds barred and Owen delivers comedic value, and an outstanding accent, to the potentially morbid rant. We are introduced to the typical British working class housewife, Joan soon thereafter and Froggitt’s interpretation of an exasperated, nagging wife is flawless.

The audience are soon introduced to the dynamic of this crumbling marriage and although at times whiny, the banter between the couple cannot be denied. This black comedy addresses how horribly bitter and twisted relationships can turn when couples annoy each other and take life for granted. The well-written dialogue between the pair at times feels like ad-libbing, as if the rows that ensue on stage could be taking place in kitchens around the country. The brilliant blows Froggitt and Currie take at each other are perfectly delivered and gather giggles and knowing grunts from the audience.

Each character’s personality is likeable and although the play takes on a dark edge as we address domestic violence and murder, you cannot help but to hold a warmth for each character’s unpleasant but relateable grievances. What starts off as niggling annoyances and banter quickly turns into morbid curiosity as the play delivers twist after twist and the fast paced, technically brilliant staging comes to a head in the once again darkly hilarious ending.

Although the dialogue is at times clunky and cliched, the hilarious take on so called wedded bliss really did take the stage adaptation of Peter James Novel to another level. Director Chris Sims and his crew managed to turn a tiny stage at our own Lace Market Theatre and delivered a fantastically technical show while keeping the hearts and funny bones of Nottingham thoroughly entertained.

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Theatre Review: The Perfect Murder

A perfectly chilling piece...

Shaun McKenna’s adaption of Peter James’ The Perfect Murder is a real triumph, so make sure you get down to the Lace Market Theatre while you have the chance.

A warring couple, Victor (Ian Currie) and Joan (Jemma Froggitt), has been married for 20 years. The loveless relationship is monotonous and bitter. So, when Victor decides to elope with his lover, Kamila (Sophie Owen), he knows he must first kill his wife… But you might want to hold onto your seat for this play, as there are more than a few twists in store.

Firstly, I must comment on the hilarious script-writing and delivery of The Perfect Murder. Currie and Froggitt portrayed a very believable unhappy marriage brought to the extremes, and made it down right hilarious. Their sharp, witty dialogue and great banter was perfectly timed. Likewise Joan and her own lover Don (Steve Mitchell) had the crowd roaring with laughter when the art of disposing of a corpse goes from bad to worse.

However, the comedy is well balanced with an alarming unpredictability; I had no idea what to expect, and the play left me guessing until the very end. The macabre humour in the final scenes only adds to how chilling a well-planned murder can be. The cast brought to life every pivotal moment, which left me waiting eagerly for more.

In particular, I was thoroughly impressed with Jemma Froggitt’s portrayal of Joan. Her witty episodes with her husbands had me in tears of laughter; I genuinely sympathised with her during her interrogation scenes with Constable Grace (Matthew Finkel), and shrank into my seat from her bloodcurdling screams.

There is something special and wonderful about amateur theatre and it is a shame how often it can be overlooked. The Perfect Murder is an excellent example of some superb acting from a smaller theatre company. Monday night was completely sold out, so you may be lucky to get those tickets after all!

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"The Perfect Murder" by Peter James

Nottingham Lace Market Theatre

Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for a long time. But their marriage has reached crisis point and Victor has decided that there is only one way to get Joan out of his life forever... but he’s about to get a nasty surprise.

As a young Detective Roy Grace starts to investigate his very first murder case, dark forces intervene and he begins to realise that nothing is quite as it seems…

Victor is played by Ian Currie, and what a role, and what a brilliant performance Ian puts in, extracting gasps of disdain from the female audience members in the way that he speaks to Joan. His facial expressions can turn quite frightening, as is his demeanour most of the way through this play, creating quite a threatening atmosphere. Great character play by Ian.

Joan is played by Jemma Froggitt, and again a very naturalistic performance; her fear when she thinks that Victor is haunting her is quite unnerving, as is the "haunting" scene itself. It really is quite a scary experience. A solid and enjoyable performance from Jemma.

Don, the taxi driver, who Joan is having a fling with, is played by Steve Mitchell. It takes a bit of getting used to his cockney rhyming slang. The comedy side balances well with his sympathetic and empathetic side of his character. Again a very believable portrayal. Ladies will also get a bonus by getting to see Steve in the buff, all in the best possible taste of course!

Kamila, a Croatian working girl, is played by Sophie Owen. I have seen Sophie in several roles in the past, and it's nice to see her in major and juicy role. The accent is good and I love the way that she is involved in the final reveal. Possibly the best role I've seen Sophie in.

Detective Constable Roy Grace is played by Matthew Finkel, making his debut for the Lace Market Theatre. At first I wasn't warming to Grace as he seemed detached from the situation, and then the detachment faded in Act Two and I warmed to the character. I then realised that this really worked in the character's favour, rethought what I initially felt and decided that I was loving Matthew's character acting. I'm looking forward to seeing more roles from Matthew with the Lace Market Theatre.

The set is split into two with part of it being the bedroom and the other part being the kitchen/diner. Mark James and combined with the lighting design by Phil Anthony, the highlighting split the two areas perfectly.

The sound design, by Gareth Morris, is clever and could have gone unnoticed because of the natural insertion of the sound affects coming from all areas of the stage. The "haunting" section was incredibly effective from a technical point of view. I imagine also quite challenging.

Directed by Chris Sims, and what a nice combination of high drama as well as the mundane every day life of the warring married couple. The mentions of Benedict Cucumberpatch, and his bottom, as the modern Sherlock, as well as several other modern nods brings this very witty script even more up to date. Some nice little touches ignited the sparkiness in this play

Written by Peter James and adapted for the stage by Shaun McKenna, it’s full of twists and turns in James’ classic thriller style. Having not read this novel, it was new to me, and although I expected a twist at the end, I didn't see what it was or how it would come about.

A really fine cast and technical production made for an exciting evening that is a must for any Peter James fan as well as any thriller fan. Not forgetting the lovely comedy interwoven in the script.

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