Murder Hunt

Published Thursday 15 May 2008 at 16:50 by Sheila Tracy

There is nothing to match a nail-biting thriller and in Brian Clemens’ new play, premiering at the Mill, the clues come thick and fast, all leading in different directions.

High praise for Michael Holt’s set and Matthew Biss’ lighting, creating a palpable fear that anything could happen in this remote area of Africa. Two couples, the Coopers and the Haynes’ arrive on safari, unknown to each other and sharing the hunting lodge with another guest, beautician Sally Bourne. But all is not as it seems and when at the height of a thunderstorm, Ann Haynes disappears without trace, the barman Aboo calls in the local police.

Enter Captain K’Maka, destined to put the fear of God into anyone crossing his path. David Monteith is a towering figure and gives a powerful performance. Martyn Stanbridge is Cooper, a ruthless businessman, with an eye for the main chance and a pretty face, in the person of Maxine Gregory as the beautician. His wife Clare, played by Susan Skipper, has seen it all before, but keeps a tight hand on the marital reins. Colin Wells as Haynes, seems devastated at the disappearance of his wife, who turns out to be one of the world’s richest women.

Ryan Romain delights as Aboo, but even he comes under suspicion as the thunder rolls, the rain pours down and there is no way out. An expert cast with director Sally Hughes extracting every minute of suspense from a real winner of a whodunit.