Review | The Inquiry at Minerva Theatre, Chichester: "The theatrical equivalent of a page turner"

But thrilling is exactly the word I would use to describe Guardian investigations correspondent Harry Davies’ first foray into scriptwriting for the stage.

The opening scene focuses on Arthur Gill, MP and Lord Chancellor, draped in the regalia befitting his title as he swears under oath to tell the truth ahead of giving his testimony.

A hesitation forms on his lips before he commits – the first crack in a façade which will be chipped away at as the play progresses.

It soon becomes clear he was the environment secretary during a national scandal which saw graves built too close to an aquifer, with the decomposing bodies poisoning the water supply.

The public perception of how he handled the incident was the making of his career, catapulting him ahead of cabinet rivals to the forefront of a race to replace an ailing Prime Minister.

There is only one woman standing between him and the keys to Number 10, Lady Justice Deborah Wingate, the judge in charge of the inquiry into what happened.

Despite the report being on the cusp of publication, it appears Lady Justice Wingate has only scratched the surface of the corruption surrounding Gill’s involvement… and someone on the inside is leaking information to her.

As truths are revealed, the focus of the play shifts from the political to the personal.

It is not really about the scandal itself, but about the powerful people involved and the lengths they will go to stay in control.

You can tell Davies is both someone who has experience of the real people behind these lofty titles and who knows how to write a story – because this is the theatrical equivalent of a page turner.

But the words must be brought to life, and what a stellar cast to do so: Tony nominee Deborah Findlay is imperious yet relatable as the inquiry chairman and John Heffernan brings a boyish swagger to the ambitious politician.

My only minor complaint was with the staging – at one point the arrangement of actors blocked my view – but this is just testament to how gripped I was.

Fans of Line of Duty and the like are in for a treat.

Until 11 November.