THE audiences at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatres enjoyed a real treat in the form of Edgar Wallace’s celebrated thriller “The Case of the Frightened Lady,” starring a whole host of well known TV stars, writes our theatre critic Kerry Black.

The play was presented by Bill Kenwright’s Classic Theatre Company who have in the past brought several thrillers to the King's, so with such a stellar pedigree, the expectations were high for a great evening’s dramatic entertainment.

When the curtain opened on the truly magnificent set, we were whisked back to the mid war years of wealthy country homes when everyone supposedly knew their place in the strict class structure of the day, where even the servants had their own pecking order, specifically the snobby butler Kelver (the wonderful Philip Lowrie aka Corrie’s Dennis Tanner). With crackling thunder and lightning, scream and scares galore, the tension ratched up as the body count increased. Who could the murderer be and what was their links to India?

Scotland’s own Gray O’Brien excelled as Chief Superintendent Tanner (King’s audiences will remember him as the detective in Dead Simple a few years ago) while Dennis Lill, famed for The Royal, returned to the medical profession as the lecherous, mysterious Dr Amersham. Meantime the fabulous Rula Lenska played lady Lebanon, the imperious Grande Dame of the piece. Those of us who remember her in Rock Follies can only marvel at her incredible poise, grace and beauty as she portrays a woman driven to protect her family’s name and heritage.

April Pearson was outstanding as the glitteringly, fragrant, fragile Isla, Lady Lebanon’s secretary. While the double act of manservants Gilder (Glenn Carter) and Brook (Callum Coates), who slithered from every Brylcreamed corner gave touches of real comedy amidst the malevolence.

With Ben Nealon as the spoilt young Lord Lebanon, Charlie Clements as Sgt. Totti and Rosie Thomson as the jaunty Mrs Tilling the housemaid, this was a particularly strong ensemble cast.

While some modern audience members may wonder who Edgar Wallace was, he was a prolific journalist, novelist and screenplay writer who tragically died in Hollywood while writing the script for King Kong. In fact his life sound like it would make a fascinating play!

Directed by Roy Marsden (who also directed A Judgement In Stone, which I reviewed last year at The King’s), Kenwright has brought together a strong team to present this classic play to a new generation.

I have always loved a good old-fashioned murder play, but after seeing The Play That Goes Wrong last week, I was praying harder than usual for the cast’s survival!

True, it’s an old-fashioned play, but as my friend commented, that’s the charm of the piece, it’s like a lush prime time TV drama.