It's not difficult to see why Thrill Me (2003) was nominated for a hatful of awards when it played Off-Broadway.
It's harder, though, to comprehend why this slick, sophisticated musical two-hander about the infamous Chicago "thrill killers" Leopold and Loeb has taken so long to reach our stages. I would be greatly surprised if Stephen Dolginoff's gripping work doesn't have a life beyond the tiny Tristan Bates.
The story of two rich university students and their desire to commit the perfect crime gripped America in the Twenties and has continued to fascinate artists since. Dolginoff sticks to the two protagonists and the build-up to and aftermath of their shocking murder of "some random kid".
Most fascinating is the psychological power-play in the young men's relationship, as Nathan Leopold (Jye Frasca), burning with love and lust for cruel, popular Richard Loeb (George Maguire), agrees to abet him in his malfeasance in return for fleeting sexual favours.
Both Frasca and Maguire are superb, the former seeming to shrink and gain pallor in the flash-forwards to his parole hearing in 1958. Thrilling indeed.
Until April 30 (020 7240 6283, tristanbatestheatre.co.uk)
Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story
Tristan Bates Theatre, The Actors Centre
Tower Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9NP
