Tag Archives: Thriller

Writer: Patricia Highsmith Adaptor/Director: Mark Leipacher Reviewer: Scott Matthewman Patricia Highsmith’s most famous literary creation, the troubled psychopath Tom Ripley, was so popular that the author wrote him into four of her novels. But it is the first, The Talented Mr. Ripley, which is rightly regarded as the most compelling of the quartet. The Faction’s physically inventive retelling, which first ...

Based on the novel by Paula Hawkins Adapter: Rachel Wagstaff & Duncan Abel Director: Anthony Banks Reviewer: Dominic Corr Based on the best-seller book by Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train stage version also follows a moderately successful feature film adaptation. Starring Samantha Womack, the touring production offers a modern mystery which also tackles the usual thriller tropes of ...

Director: Gary Lloyd Reviewer: Grace Patrick Gary Lloyd’sThriller Live is an exuberant celebration of the career and life of Michael Jackson: As we’re told several times during the show, nobody else either before or since has reached the heights of his stardom and international renown. One element of this that really hit home is the successful effort to move past ...

Director / Choreographer: Gary Lloyd Musical Supervisor / Arranger: John Maher Reviewer: Helen Tope Now in its 9th year, Thriller Live wears its heart on its sequinned sleeve. Sketching the outline of Michael Jackson’s career in music and dance, this musical hasn’t lost its ability to capture an audience’s attention. Bold, brash and unapologetically so, it charts the Motown-inspired roots of The Jackson Five, through ...

Writer: Agatha Christie Adaptor: Frank Vosper Director: Lucy Bailey Reviewer: Matt Forrest Without a doubt, Agatha Christie is one of the most prolific writers of not just her own, but any generation, turning out over 60 books. She was also a successful playwright, having penned the theatrical behemoth that isThe Mousetrap.  However, her flirtation with the stage didn’t stop there, ...

Writer: Craig Warner based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith Director: Anthony Banks Reviewer: Scott Matthewman Patricia Highsmith’s crime novels stand out because, unlike many of the genre, her murderers are less pursued by the police than by their own psyches. Nowhere is this set out more plainly than in the opening scene of this adaptation of her first novel, Strangers ...

Creator/Director: Gary Lloyd Reviewer: Donna Kelly Seen by over four million people in over 30 countries, it’s fair to say that Thriller Live is a crowd-pleaser. Now in its record-breaking ninth year in London’s West End, the musical extravaganza continues to draw big crowds and - much like Michael Jackson’s legacy - is showing no signs of slowing down. Celebrating ...

Writer: Ruth Rendell adapted by Simon Brett and Antony Lampard Director: Roy Marsden Reviewer: Dave Cunningham After a decade producing stage versions of thrillers by the Queen of Crime The Agatha Christie Theatre Company has had a revamp to become The Classic Thriller Company. One cannot quibble with the choice of the late Ruth Rendell as a ‘classic’ thriller writer. She was an ...