The Riddle of the Sphinx (Inside No. 9) was characterised by Pemberton as a thriller in the style of Anthony Shaffer's 1970 play "Sleuth", while Shearsmith identified the episode as particularly theatrical, in the style of "Sleuth" and Ira Levin's 1978 play "Deathtrap". BBC executives, according to Shearsmith, saw the episode as a cross between "Sleuth" and Willy Russell's 1980 play "Educating Rita" that read as if it had been authored by psychopaths. The executive producer Jon Plowman suggested that the first half of the episode plays out like a radio play. The word-play and tea-drinking in this part of the episode are, in the writers' opinion, very
Amanda Muggleton Amanda Muggleton Amanda Lillian Muggleton (born 1951) is an English Australian theatre, television and film actress. She is best known for her role as Chrissie Latham in the television soap opera "Prisoner" (1979–1983). Her stage work in Australia includes the title roles in "Shirley Valentine" and "Educating Rita", and as Maria Callas in "Master Class", for which she won the 2002 Helpmann Award for Best Actress in a Play. She won a second Helpmann Award in 2005, for her role as Mercedes Cortez in the musical "Eureka!". Muggleton was born in Stepney, London, England in 1951 and emigrated to Australia