Treat yourself to a wonderfully inventive night of fun and laughter at the Queens Theatre this Autumn with an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s perhaps less well known detectives.
Partners in Crime follows the exploits of Tommy and Tuppence, old friends who meet again by chance and, because of a desperate lack of money and prospects, decide to start their own company ‘The Young Adventurers’, where by rich clients will pay them to… well… go on adventures!
Their first case however, happens by complete accident when, escaping from an angry chef, Tuppence inadvertently gives a false name to police that leads her and her devoted Tommy down a path of international proportions!
Tommy and Tuppence must solve the case of ‘Jane Fish’ for the future of Britain before the mysterious Mr Brown or those pesky Russians can close their grip.
I found this production to be over the top for all the right reasons. It is fun, fast paced and nostalgic. I had a great time trying to work out who Mr Brown and Jane Fish were (of course I was wrong). The musical numbers are lively and very tight and it was a delight to hear modern songs performed in a style reminiscent of the post war years.
The acting and singing of the cast was top notch with everyone perfectly placed to excel and not over shadow their colleagues. Sometimes in productions you can lose who is who when a small cast is playing multiple roles, but that is not the case here. I’m pleased to say I followed every step of what is a complicated story and circumstance, and that is to the credit of the actors. There are some moments of real tenderness in this play but for the most part it is non stop action and comedy.
A word has to be given for the ingenious set design and the way the play is actually performed. The set is extremely compact but with many doors and some clever use of perspective, we lose ourselves to the idea of multiple locations. The performance is complimented by the staging with the use of a vast array of techniques to tell the story, including mime, shadow puppetry, magic and some techniques that I had never seen before really making the most of what the set could offer.
This is an incredible fun night of theatre that has now been nominated for multiple awards (and rightly so). If you are looking for a brilliant evening out, then head to the Queens Theatre for Partners in crime while you can!
Chris Stagg
All picture credits Mark Sepple used with permision of Queens Theatre
A Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Eleanor Lloyd production in association with The Watermill Theatre
Adapted by Sarah Punshon and Johann Hari
A Tommy & Tuppence Thriller.
Agatha Christie’s gripping thriller follows the daring and dizzying adventures of Tommy & Tuppence through 1920s London.
Home from the War, flat-broke and unemployed, our twenty-something heroes embark on a daring business scheme: ‘The Young adventurers Limited’… willing to go anywhere, willing to do anything. But their first assignment plunges them into more danger than they ever imagined and they quickly find themselves sucked into a perilous world of political intrigue, criminal conspiracy, murder and mayhem.
This inventive new adaptation is shot through with fast-paced action, comedy, live music and a dash of romance.
Times
Mon, Tue & Wed | 7.30pm || Thu, Fri & Sat | 8pm
Prices
Friday Preview | £12.50 | £16 | £19
no concessions available
Mon – Thu Eve, Sat preview & matinees | £18.50 | £23.50 | £27
concessions and discounts available
Fri & Sat eve | £21.50 | £26 | £29
Friday group discount available
Running Time
140 minutes
Interval
20 minutes
