Right from the moment guests arrived they were transported back to the 1950s as jolly classical music played in the theatre. Spider's Web was originally performed at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham on September 27, 1954, and the play's performance almost 70 years later proves it is timeless.
The Agatha Christie play follows the wife of a Foreign Office diplomat, and seems to have him and everyone else wrapped around her finger. However, when she discovers a body in her drawing-room, Clarissa calls upon her house guests to help hide the body before her husband returns with an important foreign politician.
Lara Lemon did a fantastic job as Clarissa, and Juliette Stitches had me in stitches with her witty comments as 'Pippa'. Although Susan Earnshaw as Miss Peake stole the show at moments, with her brilliant portrayal of the eccentric gardener and secret partner of the late home owner.
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When the local police inspector visits the house, they hide the body and deny a murder has taken place at all. Clarissa and the others become tangled in her web of lies, but even when she tells the truth nobody believes her.
After the intense questioning of Inspector Lord and the amusing Constable Jones, portrayed by George Telfer and Ed Telfer, anyone in need of hiding a body would be pleased to have Hugo, Jeremy and Sir Roland at hand to help clean up the mess.
However, the dead body is not the only mysterious thing in the house, as no mystery is complete without secret draws, hidden valuables and invisible writing. One of the main highlights of the play was the well constructed set, which had a secret door that proved central to everything.
The whole play taking place in one room was reminiscent of Inspector Calls, and even though there were no other rooms on stage, the cast did a great job of making you believe there was a whole rest of the house tucked behind the curtains. The set was designed simply but effectively, and really helped take you back to the era.
Although the play was a spine chilling thriller, I was pleased with how many comical moments there were, which really made it a light hearted thriller for the whole family. There were even a few plot twists that I did not see coming, especially that all of the port in the taste game was the same at the beginning.
The whole performance was fantastic start to finish, and The Tabs Productions did a wonderful job. My only complaint is that I wish I had as many chocolate biscuits as Pippa.
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