We have grown used to a comic element in the work of Agatha Christie – generally added to what has been supplied on the page by whoever has adapted the story for small or large screen entertainment. But to find the Queen of Crime herself to be an accomplished writer of a comic piece to be spoken by actors is perhaps rather surprising. Such a piece is Spider’s Web.

This was one of a trio of West End plays with which Christie delighted her countless fans in the early 1950s: the others were Witness for the Prosecution and The Mousetrap, which is still going strong, of course, all these years later. Planned as a comic vehicle for the actress Margaret Lockwood, it is an affectionate (and highly enjoyable) parody of the kind of tale Dame Agatha had made her own, using some of the conventional devices – including a secret passage and a hidden compartment in an antique bureau – familiar from her oeuvre. Good Lord, there is even a character exclaiming the immortal words: “Blackmail is a very ugly word!”

The action begins in the panelled drawing room of Copplestone Court (fine work from designer Simon Scullion) with what appears to be a poisoning in progress. In fact, the blindfolded Hugo Birch (Mark Wynter) and his equally upper-crust pal Sir Roland Delahaye (Bruce Montague) are conducting a blind tasting of port. After much pretentious pontificating on vintages, shippers and the like, they are mortified to discover all three wines are the same basic plonk – just one of the little jokes practised by their hostess, Sir Roland’s ward Clarissa (the delightful Melanie Gutteridge).

Mrs Hailsham-Brown is a woman full of funny games and deceptions, but even she finds it hard to see the comic side of the sudden appearance of a corpse on her carpet, seemingly delivered there by her step-daughter Pippa (Karen Elliot, complete with schoolgirl plaits). A cover-up is necessary in which all in the house, including the seriously weird gardener Mildred (pictured), are involved.

But the officers of the law are not to be denied their culprit. Inspector Lord (Denis Lill) and his Welsh sidekick Constable Jones (Mark Rose, pictured) soon find out, however, that things are far from being what they seem – as is always the case in Christie-land.

This production, the fifth from the Agatha Christie Company, is a period delight, with splendid performances all round from a cast, (director Joe Harmston) who are clearly enjoying themselves hugely. It’s on till Saturday (0870 060 6652) and is highly recommended.