I was invited to the Press Night of Wish You Were Dead at The Orchard Theatre in Dartford. The play is based on the novel by Peter James and is part of a series of plays featuring the character Roy Grace.
As soon as you enter the auditorium you are met with a fantastic set. A rural Chateau in France, it is both grand and run-down in equal measure. This Chateau will be the backdrop for the entire play. Quickly, we meet the characters of Roy Grace, played by George Rainsford, and his wife Cleo Grace, played by Katie McGlynn. They are witty but worn out professionals who are excited to relax on holiday with their three month old son, Noah.
As their Nanny, and friend, Kaitlynn Carter enters, we see a lovely dynamic between the three, clearly comfortable with each other and keen to have a lovely time, despite their surroundings. Roy insists they stay the night, while Cleo is prepared to go and find a better place to stay. The catch is, that Kaitlynn's partner, Jack, played by Alex Stedman, hasn't arrived and they can't get hold of him. They decide to hang on until Jack arrives.
Without going further into the plot, so as not to give away any spoilers, their stay then takes a dark turn, with things not as they first appeared to be. Let's just say, Roy's professional past catches up with him and they find themselves in a dark and dangerous situation.
If you love thrillers, murder mysteries and twists, then you will enjoy this play. Depsite the dark subject matter, there are many moments of comedy for the audience, and the play paces on beautifully. The cast are clearly at ease with the material and work very well together. There are a couple of jump scares, which both frightened and delighted the audience, but in general it is more of a psychological thriller rather than a scare fest.
I very much enjoyed the versatility of Rebecca McKinnis as Madame L'Eveque, who is at the centre of the plot twist. Her menace was gripping at points and she played sinister very well.
Fans of Game of Thrones, The Rocky Horror Show, One Foot In The Grave and Midsomer Murders would delight in the performance of Clive Mantle as Curtis. A terrifying criminal with a surprising sense of humour, Clive Mantle brings a lot of energy and charisma to the stage in his portrayal of Curtis. He had the audience in the palm of his hand while he expertly bounced from sinister to hilarious.
The play is clearly reaching an audience of happy thrill seekers, as the show reached its 100th performance yesterday and went down very well with the Dartford audience. It is a fast-paced and entertaining watch, with twists and turns that make you jump one moment and laugh the next.
Wish You Were Dead is on at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford until 3rd June.