“The plain facts are that while performing some modest acrobatics for the entertainment of Miss Moore’s party-guests, Professor McFee was killed by a bullet fired from the outer darkness. We all saw him shot, but none of us saw who shot him…”

The reforming Radical Liberal party has won power with a landslide, Britain has put a man on the moon, and George, a Professor of Moral Philosophy, is up late writing a paper: Man – good, bad or indifferent? Driven to distraction by the wild election party that his wife Dotty, a reclusive ex-musical star, is hosting – a party featuring a full band and live acrobatics – he makes an anonymous complaint to the police. The next morning the police duly arrive, but not to investigate George’s complaint. Unbeknownst to him, a murder took place at the party – a murder in which Dotty is the prime suspect…

Tom Stoppard’s dazzling 1972 comedy of murder, marriage and metaphysics has not been seen in London for over 20 years and follows Hampstead’s record-breaking seasonal revivals of Indian Ink, The Invention of Love, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Hapgood. Blanche McIntyre returns to directing Stoppard, after her triumphant production of The Invention of Love. Her other Hampstead productions have included Stage Kiss, The Assembled Parties and Letters from Max.

‘More good lines a minute than any other modern comedy [now on show]…’ Irving Wardle, The Times

We are grateful to Ken & Lin Craig for kindly supporting this production.