Stone Cold Murder

A GOOD mystery will keep you guessing right until the very end – and Stone Cold Murder is a brilliant one. Every time you think you’ve got it figured out, something else comes along to leave you baffled – even the most determined sleuth would have trouble keeping up. The play, by James Cawood, takes place in the Langstrath Country House Hotel, in the Lake District, where the doors are closed for the winter.

There are just four characters: newly wedded Olivia and Robert Chappell, who recently took over the hotel and are now settling down for the winter; Ramsey, a stranded climber, and Sam Stone who, along with his ex Olivia, is harbouring a deadly secret. The cast were highly skilled at their craft, all delivering energetic and  believable character performances.

As Olivia, Helen Lloyd is edgy and nervous as she attempts to leave her past behind her and start a new life, while Rob Place as her besotted husband is mild-mannered, though he too has his moment. John Kitching as the climber definitely has an air of mystery about him, and made me feel uneasy, while Simon Monte as the smiling ex-husband brought to mind one of those psychopaths who charm their victims into their lairs, and then I was scared. But there’s a very unexpected ending which proves that all is not as it seems.

The set, designed by Sarah Logan and built by Keith Darnbrough, was excellent, well dressed with high quality props. The lighting, by Paul Dennison, and sound, by Ollie Trenouth, were outstanding and atmospheric to suit the tone of the play. 

Timing is everything in a show like this, and the actors got it spot on. It provided a fantastic night of tense theatre and I defy anyone to figure it out. 

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