John O’Hare’s thriller has a distinctly old-fashioned air. Set in a remote log cabin in Canada, it proceeds slowly and ploddingly to sketch out the recent history of a newly-wed couple, who seem to know very little about each other, and have contrasting plans for the early demise of their partner. The double-crosses come almost in slow motion as O’Hare nudges and bludgeons the audience with heavily-laid clues. Towards the end, The Gentle Trap verges on melodrama, not that it matters, as the piece loses credibility quite early on.

I suppose the main reason for the touring of the play is that it only needs two players. Cast size is an overwhelming consideration these days. At the ultimate, one-man shows have developed a form of their own, mainly because actors are involved in the creative process, but these two-handers tie down a number of competent performers in uncomfortable ruts. Jill Gascoigne and Bryan Marshall struggle manfully to make the ludicrous plausible, but the dialogue is humdrum, the plot creaky, and only mild interest in the pay-off keeps the piece alive until the end.