Speed Dial ★★★★ The Pleasance Theatre | March 8 - 12, 2022


It can take ages to read an opus by Dan Brown, but the theatre company, Spies Like Us, provide all the riddles, puzzles and conundrums you need in just 75 minutes of this fast-moving entertainment. The highly professional and thoroughly delightful company really delivers! Writers, Ollie Norton-Smith, Hamish Lloyd Barnes, and Joe Large have created a story with more twists and turns than the A57, and Norton-Smith's direction keeps it all speeding along at a furious rate. Plus, there is a lot happening! In the poor professor's search for his kidnapped daughter he must contend with cryptic crosswords, secrets encoded in library books and fog-filled garden mazes. All the elements of the conspiracy thriller are covered. It doesn't really matter if some of the plot details go over one's head or are lost along the way, the cast's great energy and enthusiasm successfully carry the audience along. It would be impossible to single out any particular member of the hard-working team. Tullio Campanale, Ned Cooper, Evangeline Dickson, Hamish Lloyd Barnes and Genevieve Sabherwal are all strong, sometimes in multiple roles. Their performances mesh like a well-tuned engine and we defy anyone not to enjoy this breathtaking and frenetic journey that they are taken on. This is a very fine ensemble performance and all of the madness is beautifully complemented by Zak Nemorin's artful and appropriate choreography. Lovers of clever plots and fast-paced adventure, get ready for a terrific joyride.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Harry Plowden.

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