There is an understated tension keeping the audience constantly on edge throughout Dial M for Murder.

It is unlike other plays I have seen and, admittedly, I am not a huge fan of thrillers, with part of the charm being director Lucy Bailey keeping it simple yet effective.

The set is blood red, almost in its entirety, which frequently rotates without proving a disruption.

A curtain hangs and is used as a prop for the duration - I cannot put my finger on the reason why but it only adds to the eeriness, along with the choice of backing music.

Christopher Timothy, who plays the astute Inspector Hubbard, said the director sold the play to him and it is clear why.

There is no overacting, with Kelly Hotten, playing leading lady Sheila Wendice, with subtlety as well as intricacy.

The plot is not a whodunnit, it is a will-he-get-away-with-it and a pin could have been heard to be dropped as the audience waits to discover if Tony Wendice (Daniel Betts) will get away with the so-called "perfect murder".

His scheming is due to Sheila has playing away with writer Max Halliday (Philip Cairns) and he even cajoles old school friend Captain Lesgate (Robert Perkins) into becoming involved.

Dial M for Murder is a simple plot and sometimes they are the best.

I would recommend it to anybody who, like me, has never dipped their toe into the thriller genre before and wants to see what it is all about.

See Dial M For Murder at Richmond Theatre before it closes on Saturday. Visit atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre for details and tickets.