By TOM KING

ROPE is a brilliant thriller with a taut, monosyllabic title that becomes ever more chilling as the play proceeds. A neglected classic – arguably one of the greatest suspense stories ever written – Patrick Hamiton's harrowing tale has been revived by Lindisfarne and given a crackling production by first-time director Ben Smerdon. It should carry one of those safety warnings seen on electricity pylons, coupling images of a lightning flash and a skull and crossbones.

Inspired by a real-life American murder case, Rope is about two Oxford students who murder a harmless fellow undergraduate. They approach the killing as an intellectual exercise – the challenge of committing the perfect crime,

The foul deed has already been committed at the start of the play. To raise the adrenalin count ( and also provide themselves with an alibi), the pair then invite a carefully chosen group of friends and acquaintances around for a drinks party. They employ a large trunk as buffet table. Inside lies the corpse of their victim.

The party crackles with tension, and not just because of the hidden horror that lies in the middle of the room. The guests irritate and antagonise, fawn on and patronise, sneer at and bore their fellow guests Little power games and eddies of sexual attraction and repulsion flicker around. But this is no ordinary drinks party. Gradually, despite the murderers' contrivances, the ghastly secret begins to emerge – initially, as the result of a silly joke. It turns out not to be the perfect murder after all.

To paraphrase Sam Goldwyn, the narrative starts with a murder and then works up to a climax. Tension comes with the turf. But Rope also offers greater depths than the average murder play. The play's 1929 date is crucial. The younger characters are eaten up by the bitterness and nihilism that followed the slaughter of the First World War. This affects both the murderers and the friend, a crippled war veteran, who turns detective and engages in a prolonged battle of wits with the killers.

The cast do a fine job in capturing the essence of the characters. Jamie Evans, in one of the performances of the year, is especially striking as Rupert, the war vet friend whose empathy with the students allows him to penetrate their secret. Dave Gardner is also compelling as the dominant murderer, chilling in his arrogance and cold-bloodedness.

Benton Hodges as Cranillo, the partner-in-crime, is pitch perfect in conveying the sense of sweaty panic that begins to overtake him as soon as the murder is complete. The always impressive Leah-May Keeble hits another high-point as the glamorous flapper who carries her own baggage of hang-ups.

Chris Linnat-Scott as the victim's father (also a guest) injects a contrasting mood as the representative of an older civilisation that is dying on its feet in this new, Nietzschean world. Jacquee Storyozynski-Toll [CORR] injects a welcome touch of humour in an almost silent role as a woman with absolutely nothing to say about anything at all. Tom McCarthy provides further counterpoint as a dull-witted guest who becomes a champion of everyday decency.

The spirit of Alfred Hitchcock looms over this play, in one respect, literally (that's a clue - study the set carefully). Hitchcock made a celebrated film version of Rope. Lindisfarne's production can be mentioned in the same breath as Hitchcock. In the way that it rises to the dramatic qualities of Rope, it gives the Master of Suspense a good run for his money.

Rope

Palace Theatre (Dixon Studio), Westcliff

Nightly at 7.45pm until Sat Nov 25, matinee Sat 2.30pm

Box officce: 01702 351135 www.southendtheatres.org.uk