Based on a true story from the USA and made into a film by Hitchcock, this is the very bizarre tale of two rich, bored, young men looking to get a kick from a motiveless murder. Not content with the murder itself, they invite some friends and the victim's father to an evening 'do' where the spread the dinner out on top of the chest containing the body. The story gained an additional relevance and poignancy from the recent Edlington tortures where two young brothers, deprived rather than idle rich, gave as their only reason for torturing and nearly killing two younger boys "there was nowt else to do".
The staging for this was lovely with The Almeida very successfully adapted for "in the round" and the design conveyed the accommodation of the rich protagonists cleanly leaving great sight-lines for the whole audience. This is definitely a 1920's play and has, properly, not been updated but is played full bore for what it is - an approach which works admirably, bulldozing any doubts you might have about the dialogue and somewhat air-headed friends invited to tea. A strong cast carry the style off without missing a beat.
A evening full of surprising comedy and very thought provoking - see it if you can, we had to get returns it's proving so popular!
