A Butler Did it

A Butler Did It’ is the first production I have seen in the district since the disruption caused by the pandemic and this is not the only thing that makes it special. The Theatre, Thameside, is under serious threat of closure and this production has been put together and performed at short notice. Audiences have not been charged for their tickets and an appeal has been made for locals to contact their councillors to demand that this theatre remains open.

The stage is split. On one side is a police interview room and the rest of the stage represents an impressive family house.

The play begins in the police interview room and is revisited throughout the play. A rather enthusiastic lawyer, Dawson, played by Victoria Grayling and two police officers; Inspector Bridge, played by Michael McFarlane and Inspector Henderson, played by Colin Gibbins are interviewing various members of the Butler family. The complicated, and farcical story that is uncovered in the police interviews is revealed in the action that unfolds in the house.

The Butler family is congregating to attend the funeral of their NOT well-loved aunt Francesca Bloom, played by Madelaine Emmerson.  There are three Brothers: Andrew Butler, played by Wayne Prince is a famous film actor and has a young and beautiful new wife called Kimberley, played by Louise Alsop. Freddie Butler is played by Trevor Povey and Colin Butler is played by Kevin Watts. Colin’s wife is Ester and is played by Gemma Cavini. The family are welcomed by the faithful family butler Jasper (JJ) King Jr, played by Martyn Williams and housekeeper Sally Ann Downing played by Pauline Neal.

The crusty old butler (Martyn Williams) looks decrepit with his scraggly grey hair and shaky limbs and everyone who arrives at the house is surprised he is still alive. He has a whiney old voice and his own death by stabbing is very funny, also the fact that the front door only seems to squeak when he opens it was very amusing. The larger than life house keeper Sally-Anne (Pauline Neal) tries hard to help the visitors by offering tea etc but appears confused and adds to the hilarity of the piece.

Andrew (Wayne Prince) is a self-assured actor with a gorgeous young wife. He has brought a briefcase of money to bail out his failed entrepreneur/gambler brother and early on we learn that he is planning on having his wife killed by a hit-man as he knows she is having an affair. Kimberley (Louise Alsop) is a confident young woman who is married to Andrew but having an affair with Freddie. Colin Butler (Kevin Watts) shows his anxiety not only in his words but in his body language. He contorts his body to show his discomfort. He seems to be the only brother that honestly accepts that the reason the family have not been together for the past ten years is because of the dark family secret, and feud. Colin’s wife Ester (Gemma Cavini) tries hard to help Colin hold himself together and keep-up-appearances.

As the plot thickens, the characters, and the audience, is surprised to discover that Francesca is not actually dead but has fooled the family into gathering. Colin in particular finds this terrifying as Francesca displays why she has earned her ‘vicious’ reputation.  

In the second act, the body count goes up. Francesca dies again, and again, as does the butler, the maid and the hit man. The removal of the bodies and hiding them from the investigating officers is cleverly choreographed and very funny. The pace of the piece is maintained by the cast and the plot is explained by some integral speeches from the main characters. This leads the audience to wonder who might get caught for the murders and who might gain from the day’s events….

And when you think that Kimberley has manipulated the whole episode to suit her, there is a twist as we discover that Colin has tricked everyone and has swapped the briefcases. He and Ester escape with all the money.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, despite some very minor technical issues that did not distract from the action. I particularly appreciate the characterisation that the actors display and together with careful direction the performance was very enjoyable and compelling.

Stand out performances for me were many: Michael McFarlane played a serious Policeman trying to unpick the events of the evening. He was strong, he was clear, and he kept up the pace and interest in the police scenes. Victoria Grayling also deserves a mention for her role as the solicitor Dawson. She helped make it clear at the beginning that Andrew Butler was a famous actor by the way she flounced around him and as the play progressed, and she was sat with different cast members, her character evolved. I loved her popcorn-eating enthusiasm. Well done!

It was great for me to see the differences in the actors that I had seen in previous performances from Thurrock Courts. From performing with broad Yorkshire accents to the more local vernacular, demonstrated the versatility of the cast. I love to see actors who don’t look like they are acting. Characters who help you ‘suspend your disbelief’ and Wayne Prince and Gemma Cavini are capable of this. Trevor Povey was convincing with his tie adrift while he tried to remain calm while juggling debt and managing his infidelity with his brother’s wife. Louise Alsop was an attractive and strong character. She was clear, held her character throughout and kept her stance strong. She had some speeches that explained the plot and they were delivered clearly and with sass but maybe a little too fast at times. (I think I had Louise’s grandmother behind me in the theatre and she was incredibly proud of her and let the people around us know how different she is in real life

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