I liked Rob Pomfret’s study of the inspector frustrated by his enforced hospital confinement.  I think there has been some attempt to inject comedy with Brent Carradine’s physical contortions but Harrison Sharpe works best as a researcher and I could have easily lost his story of falling for another actress.  Bob Sterrett’s hospital side ward set and costumes have excellent period details but occasionally the set moves to reveal a bar in town for Marta and Nigel to sip martinis. 

Because of the involvement of Carradine, Grant’s police colleague Sergeant Williams (Sanya Adegbola) and the nurse obsessed with Richard the Lionheart, the discussion of the evidence plays out like a court room drama with the invaluable notice board collecting photos, drawing pins and red ribbon. Let’s not get into the rumours (more lavender!) about Richard the Lionheart and his neglect of Beregaria, no matter what the Cyprus Tourist Board say! An aside for theatre buffs is Nigel Templeton messing up his press night performance of Shakespeare’s villain after he takes on the new information.  However the critics praise his performance for showing more humanity in Richard’s character.

The play does feel overly long but I would gladly sit through it again because of my interest in the subject and the background it raises. I’d like to see a condensed version of The Daughter of Time followed by a play about Philippa Langley and recent findings.