The barn converted into a study attached to a Westport, Connecticut farmhouse is Michael Holt’s marvellous set for this revival of Ira Levin’s 1978 Deathtrap at the iconic Mill at Sonning. It is here that crime playwright Sidney Bruhl is finding himself blocked in terms of writing his next Broadway hit.  Bruhl also lectures to would be writers. One of his students, Clifford Anderson (George Watkins) has sent in a particularly promising script to Bruhl. 

Sidney Bruhl lives with his rich wife Myra (Emily Raymond) whose inheritance subsidises Sidney’s lifestyle when his royalties are not rolling in.  So he has two problems, writer’s block and a lack of his own money.

This is a very challenging play to write about without spoilers but I can at least describe the perfect crime writer’s set with the walls decorated with every kind of revolver, rifle, blunderbuss, sword, hatchet; knives, handcuffs, cross bow and arrows each set in a display case and lined up on the walls.  We could be in the armoury at the London Dungeon, but are they still in working order?