IF YOU are a fan of slick thrillers then Frederick Knott's Dial M for Murder at The Everyman Theatre could be right up your street.

Written just after the second world war by Knott - a reluctant writer - Dial M was rejected as a piece by many until the BBC picked it up and a whole new genre of murders was born.

A classic two act play across two hours this intense thriller relies on great writing and acting to succeed and Diana Vickers as the beautiful Margot Wendice and Tom Chambers as the deeply flawed Tony Wendice delivered as did Michael Salami as Max Halliday and Christopher Harper as a Basil-Fawlty-esque Inspector Hubbard made this a stellar cast.

The humour is subtle and understated as is the set - a flat in Maida Vale in London - and the action thrilling giving this play a real old school feel which went down well with the Cheltenham audience.

It takes a professional outfit to keep the audience engaged with a play which has a lack of dancing and singing but some excellent lighting and superb script ensure that this production does not disappoint.

The set is clever and neat serving its purpose well and giving the cast enough to play with, with all the fingerprint wiping subtlety needed for a good murder story.

It is like a comfortable afternoon TV murder mystery although (without giving away any spoilers) the identity of the killer is there for all to see.

If you enjoy following the twist and turns of a great story well told by some top notch acting then Dial M for Murder is the key to a good night at the Everyman.