THEATRE REVIEW: The Secret Adversary ★★★

The Secret Adversary
The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
29th April 2015

Whenever I have gone to seen to an Agatha Christie production production on stage previously, Like Black Coffee, Mousetrap, and Then There Were None, I would leave the theatre afterwards having watched quite an intense piece of theatre, but The Secret Adversary was different, as instead I left the theatre smiling and remember all the bits that made me laugh, as The Watermill’s Theatre Company’s production of The Secret Adversary was very much a tongue in cheek production full of energy and fast paced action, with a lot of slapstick comedy chucked in.

It was a fantastic piece of theatre, taking a different route to many of Agatha’s other stories. Garmon Rhys and Emerald O’Hanrahan really shone as Tommy and Tuppence, two adventures who go in search together to find Emily Fish and some Top Secret Files. There energy between each other was powerful, and they constantly bounced off each others sentences, which was a real delight to see. Also the way that the ensemble was used was perfect is well. They all contributed as an on stage band, but also had characters which really brought the story to life with this seven piece cast.

The set was really bold and multi purposed brilliantly, transforming into many settings and being used to the best of it's ability, with the best use being the chase between Tommy and the inspectors. The music was also incredible as it really suited the whole production and story, and it was nice to see some current songs mixed with those of  earlier times.

Overall, The Secret Adversary was a brilliant piece of tongue in cheek theatre, brought together by one of the best murder mystery authors of all time.