Dead Simple Wyvern Theatre, until Saturday

IF you suffer from even a hint of claustrophobia, Peter James’ Dead Simple is probably not the play for you.

I’m not especially squeamish about the thought of confined spaces, but even I got a cold sweat as protagonist Michael Harrison (Jamie Lomas) was sealed into a coffin and lowered six feet underground in a stag night ‘prank’ which, of course, then goes horribly wrong. Anyone with a real, bona fide phobia would have run screaming from the theatre.

This is Lomas’ first stage job – he’s better known for his role in Eastenders – and acting via walkie-talkie and in virtual darkness brings its own challenges. He rises to them admirably, conveying with chilling accuracy the thought processes and panic-stricken reactions of a man who gradually realises no one is coming to his rescue.

Tina Hobley (Corrie and Holby City) as his fiancé, and Rik Makarem (Emmerdale) as his best friend and business partner, also make a seamless transition from TV screen to stage, leaving behind their soap personas to convince us of the sinister storyline.

The many twists and turns of the plot are well concealed until the crucial moments (cue audible gasps and much seat-jumping from the audience) and while the whodunit element is exposed early on, the surprises keep on coming to the very end.

Aside from a clunky set change for the final scene, the whole production Is clever and brilliantly-staged - well worth £25 of anyone’s money.

Just don’t have nightmares. - MICHELLE TOMPKINS