THEATRE: Deathtrap

The last time David Soul was in Bradford he wowed the ladies with renditions of Don't Give Up on Us Baby and Silver Lady.

Twenty years on and the star of the cult 70s TV series Starsky and Hutch is back showing his acting prowess in Ira Levin's classic thriller.

He plays gruff playwright Sidney Bruhl whose talent for the hit thriller has deserted him. When creative writing student Clifford Anderson posts Bruhl a brilliant script, the desperate writer sees a lethal opportunity.

Egged on by rich wife Myra (Susan Penhaligon) they invite the young writer to visit them in their isolated country home. However, the perfect plot then bends, twists and spirals out of control with enjoyable fiction turning into bizarre and fatal reality.

Soul is on top form and shows an excellent comic touch, handling dark one-liners with real relish. He is ably supported by Gerald Kyd (Dr Sean Maddox in Casualty) as the young aspiring playwright and Becky Hindley as the psychic neighbour Helga ten Dorp.

If you are a fan of either thrillers or black comedy then this is a decent night's entertainment with more twists than a corkscrew.

Don't give up on him just yet, baby.

* Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, until tomorrow. Phone 01274 752000.

RICHARD BRUGGER