Teddington Theatre Club's (TTC) adaptation of Ira Levin's DeathTrap ran from Tuesday, 11 February – Saturday, 15 February at Hampton Hill Theatre, and I was lucky enough to see it on the final night.

Ira Levin is recognised as one of the most accomplished writers of suspense and horror fiction of all time. His most popular novels include Rosemary's Baby, The Stepford Wives, and The Boys from Brazil, all of which, alongside Deathtrap, were adapted into hugely successful films.

Despite having been made into a film in 1982, I had not seen any version of DeathTrap before, so went into the play completely fresh faced.

DeathTrap is about a once-successful playwright Sidney Bruhl, a who is struggling for a hit.

He invites the younger and aspiring writer, Clifford Andersen, to his home to discuss Clifford's brilliant new play, 'DeathTrap', making this a meta play, which as a former English Literature student, I personally loved; the play we were watching was the same as Clifford's play – the irony was brilliant.

The play consists of five characters, including Sydney (Daniel Wain), Myra Bruhl (Laura Eagland), Clifford (Jacob Taylor), Helga Van Dorf (Laura Parker), and Porter Milgrim (Dominic Lloyd), and I was amazed at the level of acting by all the actors, especially with the soft Connecticut accents they all (apart from Parker whose character is European) adopt.

The play takes place in the Bruhl's home, and I was extremely impressed with the set as it clearly portrays the living room of a wealthy household in 1970's Connecticut with its plush couch, regal work desk, and fancy drinks cabinet.

And I loved that the set continued backstage too with the kitchen and porch extending behind the main stage set.

But what really stood out was the series of framed torture weapons, including guns, daggers, and cross bows.

The stage setting of Teddington Theatre Club's adaptation of 'DeathTrap' was incredible (Credit: Tilly O'Brien)

TTC's adaptation of DeathTrap begins with Sidney and Myra discussing Clifford and his new play and Sidney's work more generally, with Sidney suggesting he could write a play about their psychic neighbour Helga Van Dorf.

While Myra appears to be the doted housewife, listening in carefully to Sidney's various work calls and offering him advice, it immediately seems that Sidney isn't quite as doted to Myra, but the actors portray a good level of chemistry, which I thought was excellent.

Sidney Bruhl was played by Daniel Wain and Myra Bruhl was played by Laura Eagland (Credit: Teddington Theatre Club)

Despite the slight eery atmosphere being presented, the characters, particularly Sidney, managed to make the audience laugh frequently throughout the first scene, reminding me of a comical murder mystery.

As the first Act goes on, we are introduced to Clifford and Helga, who is expertly portrayed by Parker, embodying the stereotypical "crazy" psychic lady who hints at what is to come in the play through her psychic visions.

Dressed in a long bohemian dress, silk headscarf, and a copious number of boho rings, Helga warns the Bruhl's of a pain lingering within Myra, an attack on Sidney by a man in boots, and a woman using one of Sidney's collectable daggers from one of his plays.

Laura Parker played Helga Van Dorf (Credit: Teddington Theatre Club)

This, of course, left the audience coming up with their own assumptions of what would happen in the play, something I love as it keeps us guessing throughout.

Helga's psychic visions also follow a shocking second scene whereby we witness Sidney strangle Clifford to death with his Houdini handcuffs before rolling Clifford's 'dead' body up in his rug.

In the build up to the 'murder', Sidney hints at this exact scene coming to life by suggesting to Clifford that he should write a play about this exact event.

It is believed that Sidney killed Clifford so that he could publish Clifford's 'DeathTrap' as his own.

I found the acting in this part of the scene absolutely marvellous as it looked like Wain (Sidney) really was strangling (Taylor) and I was very impressed by how well Taylor played 'dead' lying wrapped up in the rug for at least ten minutes.

I also loved how calm Sidney was, despite having just killed someone, suggesting to the audience that he was a psychopath, like those he wrote about in his plays, and hiding the real reason of why he was so calm.

While Myra is clearly shocked and distraught by the event, as the dutiful wife, she obediently helps Sidney carry Clifford's body into the garden.

The chemistry between Wain and Eagland was brilliant (Credit: Teddington Theatre Club)

By the final scene of the first Act, a series of plot twists occurred, leaving the audience stunned about what actually happens in this cat and mouse game.

In this scene, we find out that Clifford is not actually dead and that Sidney and Clifford, who we now find out are having an affair, have poisoned Myra.

Jacob Taylor played Clifford Anderson (Credit: Teddington Theatre Club)

In a dramatic cliff hanger end of the first Act, the audience were kept on their toes, with many suggesting during the interval (including me) that they think that Myra is not actually dead and that she will be the woman to use the dagger from Helga's visions.

This idea kept the audience awaiting Myra's return throughout the second Act, but alas, this did not come, which for me was absolutely brilliant, as it meant that the ending was completely different from what the audience expected it to be.

The first scene of the second Act is a little less dramatic than those of the first Act as we see Sidney and Clifford play the life of a closeted gay couple and their interaction with Porter Milgrim (Lloyd).

Dominic Lloyd played Porter Milgrim (Credit: Teddington Theatre Club)

While Sidney and Clifford appear to be a happy couple, it is clear that tension is looming, and trust is lacking.

The second scene, however, brings the drama back as Helga returns to warn Sidney that Clifford is going to attack him.

As Clifford writes a play about Myra's murder, Sidney comes up with an idea which embodies his own planned murder of Clifford, (shooting him and making it look like self-defence).

However, in a plot twist, Clifford has put blanks in Sidney's gun and then forces Sidney to handcuff himself to his chair, the perfect ending to Clifford's play.

But in another plot twist, Sidney manages to escape Houdini's handcuffs and shoots Clifford with a crossbow.

And then the plot thickens, in an excellent scene of old-school murder mystery, Clifford rises up behind Sidney and stabs Sidney with the bow from his body.

A clever plot twist from Levin as this leaves the audience wondering who the woman with the dagger is from Helga's visions and who the victim will be.

In an unexpected plot twist at the end of TTC's adaptation of Levin's play, the audience were left stunned when Helga ends up stabbing Porter Milgrim with the dagger from her visions after they argue over who should inherit the money from a play they could write about what has happened throughout the play the audience is watching – an excellent use of meta.

Overall, TTC's adaptation of DeathTrap was absolutely brilliant, and I could not have predicted it's ending – the plot twists made it a very exciting watch.

And I am not the only one to enjoy the show as the cast were presented with a standing ovation from the audience and many audience members expressed their enjoyment of DeathTrap with me at the end.