In the first of international best-selling crime writer Peter James’ works to be adapted for the stage, Victor Smiley has meticulously planned his way out of his long, tired marriage.

However, his wife Joan has her own plans and so fledgling Detective Constable Roy Grace gets his first murder case.

Claire Goose is magnificent, giving a rounded performance as the bitchy frustrated wife and playful lover, sliding into jumpy edginess and fear. She out-performs her co-star Les Dennis, who was less convincing as the cold scheming husband. However their portrayal of a bickering couple is fun, with excellent well-paced dialogue.

They realistically portray the cut and thrust of a long-married couple which, as Joan says, is now “more cutting and less thrusting”.

The rest of the cast are rather two-dimensional caricatures, with Gray O’Brien as the slimy lover, spouting pseudo rhyming slang; Simona Armstrong as the psychic prostitute; and Steven Miller as the young, rather naïve detective.

The stunning set design makes clever use of the space, allowing seamless transition between scenes.

This production is more comic than menacing crime thriller, with elements of farce and several good laughs (it’s amazing what you can do even on stage with a body, bin bags and duct tape). References to TV soaps and dramas, including Benedict “Cucumber-Patch” as Sherlock, are enjoyable. There are the twists and turns of a good crime plot (I didn’t see the end coming) but the detective isn’t the main character. Indeed he feels almost incidental, as the plot unravels without the need for his crime-solving skills.

Whether this adaptation will satisfy the millions of Roy Grace fans is uncertain, but it is fully supported by the author. James says “McKenna has done a remarkable job, both in keeping faithful to the tone and the events in the novel, but adding whole new dimensions to turn this story into something theatrical.”

Ultimately, was the perfect murder really committed? You have until Saturday to make your own decision.