Blanket of Deceit is an exciting new crime drama written by Johnny O’Hanlon. The play performs at Titchfield Festival Theatre from 22 – 27 January 2024.

DI Alex and DS Martins are Police detectives in North London, outsiders within their own force. They seem an odd pairing to be working together, but their differences help them investigate a strange incident at a London train station, where a young woman has been seen with a child, clearly not her own. Alex and Martins gradually uncover a disturbing criminal operation. This new crime drama, based on true events, sets out to explore the dark underbelly of modern city life.

Johnny O’Hanlon is also the director of Blanket of Deceit. He spoke to Simon Frost about his new play.



Simon: What inspired you to write this play, Johnny?

Johnny: The original thoughts about the plot for Blanket of Deceit and the two detectives developed during the summer of 2020. I listened to a series of real crime podcasts and had read a few detective novels, binge-watching a ‘Nordic Noir’ crime series on TV. This made me wonder why very few modern crime dramas weren’t written for the stage. But the main impetus to begin the play was – and this is going to sound a little odd - when I had a dream about meeting Anne-Marie Duff in my garden and she asked me what I was working on, and I told her about a woman who sees someone on a train with a baby clearly not their own, which essentially became the first scene of the play.

Simon: Is this the first criminal drama play you have written? Please tell us what you particularly enjoyed about writing in this genre.

Johnny: This is my very first attempt at writing a crime drama and the most challenging but paradoxically the most enjoyable aspect of writing my first crime drama were checking the facts; tying up loopholes in the narrative; not giving away too much too early and constructing believable characters to engage the audience. However, as with any new play that I write it is in the rehearsal room collaborating with the actors that the play really takes shape. As always, I am so fortunate to be working with a fantastic ensemble at TFT. I particularly enjoyed writing the scenes between Alex and Martins, creating a comic tone to offset the occasional sense of menace in the rest of the play.

Simon: Tell me a bit more about the principal characters, DI Alex and DS Martins. Why are they such an odd pairing to work together?

Johnny: The two main characters, North London Detectives DI Alex and DS Martins face obstruction in a quest to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of a young child. They are disparate characters: Alex is recently promoted, scrupulously tidy but disillusioned by her colleagues and superior officers after she publicly criticised them on national television. Martins is serving out the last few months of service; he is scruffy, recently divorced and physically and metaphorically crumpled by the job. Despite their differences they paradoxically complement each other and as the plays reaches its conclusion Alex and Martins realise they have more in common than they initially realised.

Simon: Finally, why should people come along and watch it?

Johnny: I think audiences will identify with the issues and the characters in the play, in particular with the lead characters. If you appreciate TV crime drama then Blanket of Deceit is for you.

Blanket of Deceit performs from 22 - 27 January 2024 in the Acorn Studio, St Margarets Lane, Titchfield. For more information including booking tickets please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/  or contact our Box Office on 0333 666 3366.