Theatre Review: The Case of the Frightened Lady

Nevermind The Case of the Frightened Lady, it was a case of serious wardrobe envy as we watched actress April Pearson saunter across the stage in a range of stunning dresses at last night’s opening performance of Edgar Wallace’s thriller at Theatre Royal Windsor, which is to be followed by a nationwide tour. Best known for being in Skins, Pearson took on the title role of this play, as Isla Crane, the frightened lady, secretary and niece of Lady Lebanon (Rula Lenska).

Fast-paced dialogue grips you right from the start, when the play begins with a fancy-dress party at Mark's Priory, the ancestral home of the Lebanon family. A ruthless murder of the chauffeur, Studd – strangled with a red scarf – takes place, so Chief Superintendent Tanner (Gray O’brien) and Detective Sergeant Totti (Charlie Clements) are called in to investigate. They – and the audience along with them – quickly discover that nothing is quite as it seems. The household is controlled by the family physician, Dr Amersham (Denis Lill), who appears to have some hold over Lady Lebanon.

Initially, it seems likely that the gamekeeper, Tilling, whose wife had been having an affair with Studd, is responsible for the murder. But then he goes missing, and the tension builds when Dr Amersham is also found dead – strangled with a red scarf. The two butlers, Gilder and Brooks, were really sinister – they begin to behave more like guests than servants and are always eavesdropping, and Lady Lebanon is adamant Isla should marry Lord Lebanon (Ben Nealon) – but we're not sure why – terrifying the poor girl even more.

The play kept me and my companion for the evening, Windsor Life Coach Beth Hammond, guessing right to the end, when Tanner uncovers a shocking and closely guarded secret. Without giving the ending away, the dramatic climax – a gun shot in the final scene – had us leaping out of our seats and we left the theatre a little frightened ourselves, but also in awe of the brilliant cast and production. Make sure you book your tickets to see it…