The Man Trap – Classic Thriller Season – at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham.
25th August 2026
There is something wonderful about the annual Classic Thriller Season at Nottingham Theatre Royal. It is one of the last surviving examples of repertory theatre, where a resident company of players rehearses one production by day while performing another by night. Established by producer Colin McIntyre in the late 1980s, the season has become a cherished summer tradition, annually celebrating the craftsmanship of a trio of classic suspense plays. This year’s finale, The Man Trap, promises to be a fitting conclusion, an evening of intrigue, deception and delicious uncertainty.
Originally written by French playwright Robert Thomas as Piège Pour Un Homme Seul (Trap for a Lonely Man), the play is perhaps best known as the one that got away from Sir Alfred Hitchcock. His version was never made because the legendary director died shortly after acquiring the rights. Sean Aita’s new English translation promises to preserve the elegant mechanics of Thomas’s original while allowing the dialogue to feel natural and immediate for a modern audience.
The plot is devilish. A man reports that his wife has disappeared following an argument at their isolated Cornish cottage. Days later, the local vicar arrives with a woman claiming to be his missing wife. The only problem is that he insists he has never seen her before. Is he losing his grip on reality, or is somebody orchestrating an elaborate deception? The script continually encourages us to shift our loyalties, ensuring that every new piece of evidence raises more questions than answers.
Pavan Maru drives the production with a compelling central performance as the increasingly desperate husband. He balances vulnerability with flashes of frustration, making it impossible to decide whether he is an innocent victim or a deluded fraud. Sarah Wynne Kordas is equally impressive as the mysterious woman whose quiet confidence makes every exchange more unsettling. She reveals just enough emotion to keep us guessing without ever giving away the truth. John Goodrum brings whimsical charm to the Inspector, carefully navigating the increasingly tangled investigation with an appropriate air of disbelief. Susan Earnshaw provides warmth and subtle humour as Reverend Susan Green, while Juliette Strobel adds another intriguing layer of uncertainty as the enigmatic visitor. Together, the ensemble demonstrates the precision that has become synonymous with the Classic Thriller Season, each performance complementing the others without ever overshadowing the central mystery.
The production itself wisely avoids unnecessary embellishment. The Cornish cottage set creates an atmosphere of isolation, while clever lighting and sound design (Conal Walsh) heighten the growing sense of paranoia. Director Karen Henson and the entire company trust the strength of the writing, allowing the suspense to emerge naturally through character rather than spectacle. Every revelation lands because the groundwork has been carefully laid, and I find myself mentally reassessing the puzzle with every scene.
What impresses me most is how confidently the play refuses to underestimate its audience. Rather than relying on cheap shocks, it builds tension through relational psychology, questioned identity and torn trust. Just when I believe I have solved the mystery, another twist quietly dismantles my assumptions. The final act delivers exactly the kind of satisfying payoff that many classic thrillers promise but rarely achieve.
The Man Trap is a worthy finale to Nottingham Theatre Royal’s much-loved Classic Thriller Season. Cleverly written, sharply performed and packed with many a satisfying twist, it serves as a fitting reminder as to why these traditional mysteries continue to captivate audiences. In an era of high-tech stage spectacle, there is still immense pleasure to be gained from a well-constructed thriller that keeps us guessing until the very end.
