When you discover your mother was convicted of killing your father 20 years ago, what is there to do but investigate?
That’s the idea at the heart of this Agatha Christie tale of lust and lies.
Sophie Ward is the lynchpin of the piece as the daughter coming to terms with the truth of her family history. While her transatlantic drawl doesn’t always convince, she does hit the mark as the coquettish, impulsive Carla le Marchant.
With the help of her solicitor (a flirty Ben Nealon) she re-assembles all the key players in the murderous events of two decades ago.
Lysette Anthony plays the spiky, lustful model who came between Carla’s parents with a delicious frisson, whilst Liza Goddard’s governess is the model of probity. Christie company regular Robert Duncan is reliably strong as family friend Philip Blake.
It’s a slight departure from the normal Christie staging, with the first half made up a series of vignettes that lead up to the second’s flashback, but sadly the staging mostly lacks the ambition to match. Simon Scullion’s set is little more than a set of flats.
It’s an intriguing and enjoyable story with a talented ensemble cast. I just could have done with a bit more flair.
