The show premiered in the West End in 1932, more than a decade before his most famous mystery thriller came to the stage.

Transporting the audience back to a bygone era, this latest brand new production was set in the living room of a quaint country retreat with a supposedly close knit group of friends and colleagues.

But as one of their guests says just five minutes into the first half: “Life’s got a lot of dangerous corners” and it’s already clear that things might not be as they first seemed.

And it’s not long before a chance remark about a musical cigarette box turns the dinner party into a thrilling and belated inquest over the death of their friend, Martin Caplan.

The set and extravagant costumes along with a talented cast help give this brand new production an old fashioned and realistic feel, but it is not long before the gossip and trivia of a typical 1930s party is pushed aside for an evening of cross-examining – this time without an inspector to take the reins.

While the production takes a more sinister turn with romantic entanglements, theft and death all exposed – there are still plenty of laughs.

These mainly come from Michael Praed who gives a strong charming and calculating performance as Charles Stanton so well that it was sometimes easy to get lost in his world of lies.

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise with his theatre credits including UK tours of High Society and The Sound of Music and on-screen in Robin of Sherwood.

The impressive cast doesn’t end there with Daziel and Pascoe’s Colin Buchanan starring as Robert Caplan, who takes on the lead role as chief interrogator – hunting for the truth amongst the tangled web of lies.

It is also very easy to empathise with Emmerdale’s Kim Thomson as poor Olwen Peel, whose slip-up causes the can of worms to be opened.

There was certainly no chance to get bored as the unravelling is so absorbing that it keeps you guessing throughout.

The characters are all credible – with realistic flaws – and of course all believing they know each other and Martin better than anyone.

The final scene ends with a cunning and amusing twist which rounds off the thriller in true Priestley style.

But the real theme of the play seems to be that everything is not as it seems and the truth may be more dangerous than anyone thinks.

Dangerous Corner runs at Theatre Royal Windsor, in Thames Street until Saturday, September 13 with evening performances Monday-Saturday at 8pm and matinees on Thursday at 2.30pm and Saturday at 4.45pm.

To book tickets for these or any other shows visit www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk or call the box office on 01753 853 888.