REVIEW - The Trouble With Harry, Lion Theatre Company, Horncastle, Wed 24th September 2025 - ***
- theatrereviews
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
Comedy murder thrillers are the order of the day across Lincolnshire at the moment – Louth Playgoers are tackling Cluedo, Grantham’s St. Peter’s Hill Players are revisiting Arsenic and Old Lace, Heckington Players have secured the rights of local playwright Kei Bailey’s Saturday Night Cleaver and Boston Playgoers are staging Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee (granted, that last one is a ‘straight drama.’)
Arguably the most intriguing offering is unfolding at the Lion Theatre in Horncastle, with a first-ever stage adaptation of Jack Trevor Story’s The Trouble with Harry, adapted and directed by Amanda Eastwood. It’s an entertaining, offbeat evening of dark comedy, with plenty of charm, although not without a few rough edges. Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock’s film adaptation, coming in 1955, gives a more romanticised and typically stylised depiction, however, this incarnation should still be well received.
The play revolves around a small town’s curious response to the discovery of a dead body and no one seems particularly upset about it – a premise that lends itself to plenty of wry humour and unexpected twists. They all have something to gain from Harry’s ‘disappearance’, so the question becomes who actually did kill him, and/or who would be better to take the blame. But at times it’s tonally aloof, with elements of broad farce fighting against, rather than aiding, the blend of dark humour, eccentric characters, and quintessentially British wit.
The good stuff: there is much to enjoy in this staging. The complex, composite set was utilised cleverly, although there was a feeling that some scenes could have been adapted to take place in the same location, thus negating the sprawling, and occasionally meandering, narrative. The set itself, however, is a delight, with a particularly evocative grassy knoll present throughout, as a neat, constant reminder of ‘the elephant in the room’. The cast embraces the absurdity of the situation with enthusiasm, and several performances stand out for their comic timing and characterisation. Dave Eldridge, playing the good-natured Captain Wiles, provides the lion’s share of the broad comedy aspect, forging memorable ‘double acts’ with Sheena Liversidge and Russell Alder. Liversidge plays the well-to-do spinster Miss Graveley, while Alder plays the artist-cum-detective Sam Marlow. While Liversidge and Eldridge have stepped right out of an episode of Midsomer Murders, Alder and Sophie Campbell (playing the deceased’s widow) come across as tonally darker, with Alder’s coldly acerbic witticisms appearing macabre and Campbell’s distant matter-of-fact approach to her husband positively chilling. The chemistry between these key players may be at odds with each other at times, but one feels that this is the Eastwood’s intention; it’s a beguiling, fascinating story. Eastwood’s script and direction is never pedestrian: it’s such a swift moving play, but there is definitely a possibility to eke out some of the supporting characters, who vary in their success. Some come off as underused, some as under-developed, however, it’s equally fair to say that none outstay their welcome and all are performed admirably. A special mention should go to Jonathan Cooke’s rambling tramp, who threatens to stop the show, but actually provides some needed ‘breathing space’ among the chaos. Likewise, the young actor who plays the mischievous Abie does a sterling job.
A few performers were, infrequently, too quiet to be heard clearly, which occasionally hindered the impact of Eastwood's clever dialogue. The lighting, though effective, was perhaps too bright for the evening/night scenes, with the audience ‘warmers’ being used excessively and, which the overally tonality appeared scattershot, this occurring tension also added an intriguing layer, reminding the audience that Story’s original novella was never meant to be straightforward.
Despite any minor shortcomings, The Trouble with Harry remains a solid and enjoyable production. It’s quirky and clearly crafted with care. The Trouble with Harry is a bold gamble for the Lion Theatre – a clever, well-paced production with moments of charm and wit.
'The Trouble with Harry' is being performed nightly at 7.30pm (with an additional matinee on the Saturday) until Saturday 27th September 2025, at the Lion Theatre in Horncastle. Tickets can be purchased via the link below:
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