Review: Deathtrap, Noel Coward Theatre, Wednesday 17 November 2010

How far would you go in pursuit of literary ambition? This is the question posed by Ira Levin's comedy thriller, with many twists, turns and laughs along the way. Sidney Bruhl (Simon Russell Beale) is a washed-up playwright running out of ideas and desperate for a hit, Clifford Anderson (Jonathon Groff) an eager, brilliant young student with a promising script - a script worth killing for.

From the moment the curtain lifts the play crackles with sinister tension. Rob Howell's well designed set, littered with various ancient murder instruments, hints at a bloody climax before a single word has been spoken. To reveal any details of the thrilling denouement, however, would be a betrayal; as Clifford tells Sidney, the audience should never be aware of significant plot details too early on. Suspense is the essence of this show, with its overwhelming strength being its delicious and unrelenting twists, keeping us teetering on the edges of our seats throughout.

Russell Beale delivers Sidney's knowing one-liners with relish, has impeccable comic timing and is suitably sardonic as the over-the-hill writer, although he never quite imbues the character with a significant sense of despair. Groff impresses as enthusiastic young  protege Clifford, bubbling with barely-suppressed excitement, his eyes sparkling with a constant glimmer of genius and ambition. They are adequately supported by Claire Skinner as Sidney's wife, Terry Beaver as the lawyer and Estelle Parsons in the role of a local psychic, providing hilarious comic relief.

It is clear, however, that Levin prioritised plot over character and despite the best efforts of the cast the motivations of the main players are not always clear. Behind their surface characteristics there lurks little depth in Levin's protagonists, whose other emotions are obscured by ambition and self-interest. Yet this is not a complaint that significantly damages enjoyment of the play. Levin, like Sidney, has little interest in a character and emotion driven narrative and if he had devoted himself to delving into the subconscious of Sidney or Clifford this would be a much less exciting theatrical experience.

Deathtrap is an ingenious and expertly crafted piece of theatre that does not let its audience relax for a moment. Levin's sparkling, witty dialogue can plunge us in the space of seconds from laugh-out-loud comedy to icy suspense, cutting a laugh short with a sharp shock. This is not recommended viewing for those of a nervous disposition; the burliest of men in the audience are to be witnessed jumping from their seats.

Far from merely delivering cheap frights, the show is also dazzlingly clever. Levin shrewdly and amusingly questions his own craft, sending up the conventions of stage thrillers in a drama that is always knowingly self-aware. There is the sense that the play is writing itself around Sidney and Clifford, tapped out letter by letter as they sit at their typewriters. The sudden turns taken by the plot can be implausibly contrived and outrageous, but that is part of the beauty of this compelling, playful and sometimes downright silly play.

The plot contrivances, as well as keeping audiences guessing, are another element of Levin's dissecting look at the thriller genre. The ever shifting relationship between the two central characters is consistently entertaining, but the real star and focus of the action is their script. In Levin's thriller, the play's the thing.