A Murder is Announced

By any criteria a 50 year span staging the widest possible range of performances and productions is a milestone to mark in a special manner. What better way then to ignite a celebratory year than to turn to the magnificent Agatha Christie’s 50th book, and one of the best and most popular “whodunits”, and then hold a Gala Evening to end a 4 night run. This was made all the more poignant for this highly successful theatre group when super sleuth Miss Marple was played by an actress who appeared as a 9 year old in 1963 in their first production.
In the personal column of the “Chipping Cleghorn Gazette” a notice appears. “A Murder is announced on Friday October 13th at Little Paddocks – at six thirty pm”.
An expectant audience, along with the characters on stage, the residents of Little Paddocks, see the evening arrive and Letty along with her niece and nephew, her lodger, her maid, her best friend and her nosey neighbour decide upon early evening aperitifs anxiously awaiting the appointed hour to find out what the ominous message printed in the local newspaper could possibly mean. Who placed the article? Is it a joke? How exciting! The villagers expect a game. The lights go out and it’s suddenly a real situation when a body is discovered. How could this happen? Where did the game go wrong?
Miss Marple – Glynis Smith – is in every way the part, dress, and character and with some brilliant timing. Lettitia Blacklock – Mel Jeffrey – is a convincing performer and Dora Bunner – Elizabeth Whitehouse – absorbing from an armchair the nuances of other characters. Mitzi – Pauline Beale – is a fascinating zany housekeeper with an accent which just adds to a special performance. Other characters are played well in this plot, both helped and hindered by a somewhat subdued Inspector Craddock – Hugh Rayner, involving another murder, two major plot twists, various red herrings, a romance and the usual catching of the murderer almost red-handed. As you would expect nobody is who or what they seem and all in their own way have that “skeleton in the closet” and inevitably, Miss Marple with her acute insight into all the relationships and happenings brings it all to a neat conclusion over a cup of tea and a piece of cake!
In his first Directors role Andy Brown brings his own well-chosen and cleverly delivered interpretation to this exciting play. On a well-made and dressed set every scene unfolds, each character and all their individuality unravels, affording the audience maximum opportunity to gain an insight into their lives & possible motives, keeping a spellbound audience guessing until the last moment. All characters on stage then pairing up in conversation providing an interesting final scene.
This was an excellent and thoroughly well executed production and a highly talented and committed theatre company can look forward to delivering top quality entertainment for another 50 years and beyond.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.