Alys, Always: A superbly disquieting psychological thriller

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Frances is a nobody, a timid thirty-something arts desk sub-editor, who is employed by The Questioner newspaper (any resemblance to The Observer is purely coincidental); by contrast, Laurence is a real somebody, an award-winning novelist and a household name.

Since so much of it is set at the arts desk of a Sunday broadsheet, newspaper critics who enjoy seeing their avatars on stage will be reluctant to pan it entirely. Suffice to say that this is a little gem of a book - and your jaw will get a good work out as it drops further and further as you discover more about quiet Frances. But when she realises Alys’s widowed husband is heavyweight author Laurence Kyte (Robert Glenister), an ambition to enter his world is kindled: at first just a spark; later a bonfire.THEATRE includes Alys, Always at The Bridge; Herding Cats for Hampstead Theatre and Theatre Royal Bath; What Are They Like? Frances is asked by the family liaison officer to meet the bereaved family members; she is reluctant at first but when she discovers the driver was the wife of distinguished author, Laurence Kyte this changes everything. Lane's take on contemporary class is so sharply observed that it becomes almost satirical: the perennial theme of social climbing gets a superb new treatment in her highly entertaining, chilling tale of a cuckoo in the nest. Please note that this performance includes the use of haze, herbal cigarettes, vaping devices and contains strong language.

At the National Theatre: Saint George and The Dragon, A Small Family Business, Great Britain (also West End), Timon of Athens, One Man, Two Guvnors (also West End, Broadway and international tour; Tony Award nominee and winner of Drama Desk Award for Best Score), Travelling Light, England People Very Nice, The Man of Mode, The Alchemist and Southwark Fair.The world of culture and privilege that the family inhabits seems within touching distance for Frances, if she can just play her cards right. Harriet Lane’s cracking slow-burn of a psychological thriller has, since its publication in 2012, been crying out for stage and screen adaptation. At the heart of the plot is a secret that eventually comes out, although I had no sense of dramatic tension because it is not signposted clearly enough. Alys, Always is entertaining and well-cast; Froggatt convinces as a couple of instances of being in the right place at the right time give her the idea to aggressively pursue her best interests. Television includes Shakespeare and Hathaway, Uncle, Nell Gaiman’s Likely Stories, Doctor Who, Suspects, Whitechapel (series 3), and Holby City.