SWORDS fights, blazing gun shots and hidden ladies brought the thriller The Lady Vanishes to life on stage in the Theatre Royal Bath this week.

The star cast, including husband and wife Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield transformed the classic Alfred Hitchock black and white film for stage.

When socialite Iris Henderson’s unexpected travelling companion suddenly disappears, Iris is perplexed to find that all the other passengers deny ever having seen her. But with the help of musician Max, she turns detective, and together they try to solve the mystery of why the lady vanished.

Iris and Max are an unlikely pair but as they search desperately for the missing Ms Froy, their frostiness towards each other starts to thaw.

The cast put on an energetic display and the show is fast paced with plenty of intrigue as the audience become fully invested in getting to the bottom of where the lady has vanished.

They come up against Nazi officers, magicians and two English gentlemen who just want to watch the cricket within the carriages of the train.

The clever staging and effects adds to the atmosphere.

As the second half began the various groups of characters are thrown together against one common enemy, which reaches a climactic finale and Iris and Max finally get to the bottom of the mystery.

Comic moments throughout the show added to the performance and made the characters more three dimensional.

Other familiar faces include Lorna Fitzgerald, fresh from her shock departure from BBC’s EastEnders in which she starred as Abi Branning and Matt Barber who played Atticus Aldridge in Downtown Abbey.

The Lady Vanishes is on at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday. Tickets from £22.50 to £38.50.