Would Snake in the Grass go with a bump, a bang, or a flop? Definitely not the latter. The Octagon Theatre Bolton’s gripping production of Alan Ayckbourn’s darkly comic thriller delivers a night of theatre that is equal parts chilling, suspenseful, and wickedly funny. Performed in the Octagon’s intimate space, the audience is drawn straight into the heart of a decaying family garden where secrets fester and ghosts real or imagined seem to lurk in every shadow.
The story centres on Annabel Chester (Sue Cleaver), who returns home after her abusive father’s death. She’s physically and emotionally fragile, her father’s cruelty still haunting her. But her uneasy homecoming takes a sinister turn when her father’s former nurse, Alice (Lisa Zahra), arrives with a blackmail scheme, claiming to have proof that Annabel’s sister, Miriam (Nicola Stephenson), tampered with his medication. What follows is a twisting psychological battle filled with deceit, shifting power, and unexpected revelations.
Nicola Stephenson is the undeniable star of this production. Her performance as Miriam is extraordinary effortlessly moving from fragility to cunning manipulation and finally to full-blown psychosis. She commands the stage with a remarkable emotional range that keeps the audience transfixed from start to finish. Every flicker of fear, smirk of triumph, and glint of madness feels utterly convincing. It’s a masterclass in control and transformation, and she brings Ayckbourn’s complex writing vividly to life.
Sue Cleaver gives a nuanced portrayal of Annabel, capturing both her bitterness and vulnerability as the situation spirals beyond her control. Lisa Zahra’s Alice is sharp and formidable, her calm exterior concealing an unnerving ruthlessness. Together, the three women create electric chemistry each moment between them charged with tension, power, and a dark undercurrent of humour.
Under Francesca Goodridge’s direction, the suspense never falters. The Octagon’s compact stage heightens the intensity, while the eerie lighting and sound design immerse the audience in a world where nothing and no one can be trusted.
Ayckbourn’s script blends gothic tension with sly wit, exploring trauma, guilt, and revenge without losing its human touch. Snake in the Grass is unsettling, surprising, and impossible to look away from.
Bolton Octagon’s production is a triumph – smart, stylish, and spine-tingling. And Nicola Stephenson? Simply phenomenal.
For tickets and more information, please visit https://octagonbolton.co.uk/events/snake-in-the-grass
Reviewer: Brian Madden
Reviewed: 10th October 2025
North West End UK Rating: