Peter James is without question a great storyteller of crime thrillers and his novels are widely read.
Adam Woodyatt, Luke Ward-Wilkinson and Gaynor Faye | Photo © Alastair Muir
Here, the adaption by Shaun McKenna keeps what is a clever plot on the boil but it somehow fails to transfer any sense of fear or foreboding, which is a shame.
The heart of the story is no good deed goes unpunished and the idea that an act of kindness can lead into a world of crime and terror.
Tom Bryce is a businessman who finds a USB stick on the train and decides to try and return it to the owner but things go awry.
His near alcoholic wife, their bankruptcy and pressures of life in general mean that Tom is at his wits end; and tempers fray. Adam Woodyatt is the beleaguered Tom Bryce with Gaynor Faye as his wife Kellie.
Somewhere is the question: what pushes a regular person into crime? and also how fine is the line that separates us from being a criminal?
Photo © Alastair Muir
The cast work hard with what is essentially an unconvincing production. The police station is almost a comedy set up, the characters are one dimensional and the repetitive blackouts for scene changes stalls the pace on a regular basis.
The large audience entered into the spirit and there were many discussions in the interval as to what might happen next.
The show continues on a UK tour and runs at the Theatre Royal until Saturday.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Reviewer: Petra Schofield
Looking Good Dead is showing at the Theatre Royal in Bath until Saturday 23rd October 2021.
