DEATHTRAP, an ingenious comedy thriller by Ira Levin, had phenomenal success on Broadway where it ran for over four years from 1978 and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. A film version, starring Michael Caine, was released subsequently.

The current Salisbury Playhouse revival of this remarkable play, on until February 27, is a must-see event. Director Adam Penford and a superb creative team have devised a brilliantly entertaining production that explodes with mind-boggling twists and turns.

The considerable action unfolds in the living room of playwright Sidney Bruhl’s spacious house in Westport, Connecticut, where autumnal foliage abuts the tiled roof.

The wonderful set, designed by Morgan Large, won spontaneous applause as the curtain rose on the first night.

The drama is heightened by James Whiteside’s clever lighting design, and the music and sound effects by Ben and Max Ringham. Be prepared for surprises.

Fight director Rachel Bown-Williams deserves a medal. The plot is enhanced with brief video clips from such notable films as Gaslight, Dial M for Murder, Witness for the Prosecution and Sleuth.

The accomplished cast, who do full justice to the plot, are able to inspire spine-chilling tension suitably seasoned with mirth – a great combination.

Beverley Klein, as Helga ten Dorp, the neighbour with an unsettling degree of extra-sensory perception, is absolutely hilarious.

Kim Wall is Sidney Bruhl, a frustrated writer desperate for material at any cost, and Lesley Vickerage is his wife, Myra, who simply wants to be supportive. The arrival of Clifford Anderson, played by Sam Phillips, is far more significant than one might imagine. Julien Ball, as the lawyer Porter Milgrim, may also harbour secrets.

The perplexing, highly entertaining drama is enhanced by Sidney Bruhl’s amazing assortment of artifacts that reflect a life-long hobby.