Preview of Deathtrap at the Manor Pavilion, by Claire Evans.

Paul Taylor-Mills’s professional Summer Play Festival company will be presenting Ira Levin’s thriller Deathtrap at the Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth, opening on Monday September 9.

The play was first performed in 1978 and was later made into a film with Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve. It is full of many plot twists and refers to itself as a play within a play. Deathtrap holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway and was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Play.

Director Jason Moore is thrilled to be back in Sidmouth, after directing five-star Hay Fever at the beginning of the season. He said, “Deathtrap is a very different type of play, a dark comedy and thriller. The season is more than a job, it’s about being part of something where we all support each other and create great theatre. The Sidmouth audience is also a very important and it’s always good to see familiar faces coming back each year to support the Play Festival.” Season regulars, Dominic McChesney (who played David Bliss in Hayfever) and Gwithian Evans (currently playing Mulvaney in While the Sun Shines) will be playing the leading roles.

Deathtrap offers very clever mix of ingredients where the audience get to both gasp and enjoy spontaneous laughter. Full details can be found at the Manor Pavilion website.