Faced with the unexpected visitor Laura, Peter’s wife Susannah assumes that she is the hired French chef Sylvie who is meant to prepare the food for dinner.  Mayhem ensues as Laura with no cooking experience or French language has to pretend to be Sylvie.  Yes there will be a murder but I’m not telling you who is murdered or who did it.  Suffice to say things get more complicated when Laura’s aggressive husband Jason (Andy McLeod) turns up.  Rufus Hound shines as he tries to cover up the confusion he has caused and there is plenty to laugh at.

Miriam discovers quite remarkable extra sensory abilities and there are spooky sounds and special effects which make the audience jump. They all play their parts well and Rufus Hound shows vulnerability so we don’t judge him too harshly for his infidelity.  The denouement is amazingly unexpected and I’m sure you won’t guess it as it is also splendidly original.  I’m off this week to see another play by Torben Betts about the deaths of JFK and Marilyn Monroe at Marylebone.  The Other Side of Murder is on a UK tour until February 2027.