The Lieder Theatre's Strictly Murder is a gripping tale that is sure to please fans of classic crime fiction.

The play opens on a humble and homey cottage in 1939 Provence; a picture of cozy contentment. The morbid fun begins when curious clues shatter the illusion of bucolic peace.

Looming threats from the outside world are glimpsed through an unreliable old radio and offhand comments between Peter and Suzy, an expat English couple portrayed with delightful intensity by David Rayner and Steph Warden. Rayner's performance is wonderfully menacing at times, careening from paranoid to psychotic to utterly vulnerable. Warden's Suzy becomes hardened with cynicism, tinged with a bit of comedy, as her partner's mysterious past is untangled again and again.

Intruders and investigators enter to uncover more possible clues, shifting the entire plot right under the feet of the audience. Shane Daly and Helena Bozetto bring an understated campiness to their British detective characters. Their reactions deliver more than a few tension-breaking moments, reminiscent of the crimefighters in writer Brian Clemen's well known 1960s TV series, The Avengers.

Brian Hill is superb in the role of Joseph, an unpredictable and bumbling neighbour. Hill treads the line between harmless and ominous with great charm.

Oddly, the interval was every bit as delightful as the play; listening to audience members debate sinister motives and shoot down each other's theories. Everyone's a sleuth.

Director Christine Bentley cleverly manipulates the pace of the play to subtly change direction when we least expect it. Silence is used to great effect, heightening suspense in a way that is rare in today's fast-paced entertainment, leaving the audience to feel the tension grow. The result is the sort of edgy anticipation you might sense in a Hitchcock or David Lynch film. We are given generous space to scrutinise every clue, ponder every possible outcome and imagine every gruesome intention.

Once again, the Lieder's set design team has created a perfect setting for a twisted tale. Pauline Mullen's costuming has captured the region and historical period beautifully. Hats off to the whole production team.

Strictly Murder opens Wednesday night September 18, with a charity night hosted by the Goulburn Soroptimists and Growing Abilities.

There will only be six performances until the play closes with matinee and evening shows on September 28. Tickets available at the door, online at www.liedertheatre.com, and Goulburn Medical Clinic on McKell Place.