The grand finale in this years’ quartet of Colin McIntyre Classic Thriller Series productions at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, is The Mysterious Mr Love, a 1997 comedy-thriller from the pen of British author and playwright Karoline Leach. It is a two hander, exploring the relationship between the eponymous Mr George Love (John Goodrum) and his latest love conquest Ms Adelaide Pinchin (Sarah Wynne Kordas). Mr Love, you see, is an Edwardian conman who makes (or should that read ‘takes’) his living by swindling vulnerable widows and spinsters out of their hard earnt cash. It is, on the surface, a story oft told. Love is a cheeky, oddly loveable rogue, who wins the trust of said gullible women before leaving them like a thief in the night, heartbroken and penniless without so much as a backward glance. Adelaide is plain and proper, a milliner’s daughter who has recently come into a substantial £50 inheritance. She immediately falls for the charms of Mr Love because of her own lack of self-esteem and a long and unsuccessful tutelage at the school of hard knocks. However, this is a thriller, and as such, we are assured that all is not as it at first seems, for when Love unexpectedly starts to experience feelings for Adelaide there are sure to be plenty of surprises in store.

Goodrum is completely believable as loquacious lothario Mr Love. He is a bounder without a shadow of a doubt. The portrayal here is as cheeky, cute and roguish as it needs to be but without slipping into caricature. He is charming and menacing in equal measure and we the audience are able to see immediately how he operates – and more importantly why his operations are so very successful.

Similarly brilliant in role, Wynne Kordas immediately gains our sympathy and pity in equal measure as the self-effacing, plain and downtrodden Adelaide who is only good for, as she puts it, ‘eating biscuits and making hats’. She has some tremendously moving scenes in Act One which are performed to perfection. Once Adelaide cottons on to Mr Love’s true intentions towards her, we begin to see a different side to her character and this is where Wynne Kordas pulls out all of the theatrical stops. Her Act two performance is moving and magnificent in equal measure.

Both actors perfectly carry off the difficult task of delivering a performance where they have absolutely nowhere to hide – they are never off stage all evening and have the unenviable task of delivering comedy and poignancy often within the same sentence. They triumph on all counts. They seem to dance around each other on the stage, each wary and suspicious and at the same time as besotted by the other as a moth by flame.

The play is expertly directed by Karen Henson, the action galloping forward, never seeming to flag, alongside an excellent script that provides plenty of chuckles along with the thrills.

Doubling their efforts, high praise also to Wynne Kordas for design and Goodrum on lighting. The set is in its simplicity, meaning that out attention is always exactly where it needs to be – on the dialogue. The lighting is particularly clever, highlighting the mood and subtly reminding us which aspect of each character we are observing. Both of these aspects of the production truly come into their own in the later stages of the action.

As is always the nature with thrillers such as this, I shall say no more about the development of the plot, for this would be ruinous to your own enjoyment thereof. However, I will note this – a strong script is beautifully delivered by two performers who know exactly how to pull at the heart strings of this opening night audience. It is completely involving. I did not want it to end. The narrative will keep you guessing until the end.

Go, but beware of the mysterious Mr Love.

Playing at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham until Saturday 31^st August 2024.