Colm Gormley in An Interrogation [Marc Brenner]

SET in a police interview room in Berkshire, Jamie Armitage’s clever investigative drama charts the changing dynamics  between Detective Ruth Palmer (Rosie Sheehy) and her smooth-talking suspect Cameron Andrews (Jamie Ballard).

One woman is dead, another is missing. Cameron had connections to both and has agreed to a voluntary interview to assist the police’s enquiries with the disappearance of Joanna Nelson, although he denies knowing either of the women well.

Ruth, aware that the life expectancy of a person who has been abducted and abandoned is 72 hours, is desperate to get answers in the hope she can save Joanna’s life. Despite appearing compliant, Cameron plays games and tries to unnerve Ruth with questions of his own.

I wasn’t entirely convinced by the speed with which Ruth breaks Cameron down, but Armitage’s drama is based on a real-life interview between Ontario detective James Smith and Russell Williams, a former colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

What’s compelling is the journey, and Sheehy and Ballard’s beautifully controlled performances.

Armitage, who also directs this punchy 65-minute play, adds an extra layer with Dan Light’s video depicting the telltale wringing of hands under the table – although I found these visual cues unnecessary and occasionally distracting.

Tension is ratcheted up as the interview becomes an interrogation of power and class. There’s a brilliant moment when Ruth reveals her hand as she lets slip her frustration that “people like you always get away with it”.

Despite a largely redundant role, Colm Gormley plays Ruth’s senior investigating officer, John Culin, with aplomb. It’s an enjoyable evening and great to see acting of this calibre in a studio space. I look forward to seeing what Armitage does next.

until February 22
hampsteadtheatre.com/