A Murder is Announced

On Thursday 25th July, I was very pleased to attend Fylde Coast Players’ most recent offering, ‘A Murder is Announced’ - the famous play by Agatha Christie. The society have been plying their trade for seventy-seven years and produce three plays each year. Up next, in October, is their version of the classic ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’.

‘A Murder is Announced’ is a mystery play adapted from Agatha Christie's novel of the same name. Set in the quiet English village of Chipping Cleghorn, the plot unfolds when an unusual notice appears in the local newspaper, announcing a murder to take place at ‘Little Paddocks’, the home of Letitia Blacklock, at six thirty that same evening. Curious villagers gather at the house, intrigued by what they assume to be a joke. However, as the time approaches, the lights suddenly go out, and shots are fired, leaving a man dead.

The investigation is led by Inspector Craddock, who is soon aided by the astute Miss Marple. As they delve into the mystery, they discover hidden secrets and complex relationships among the residents of ‘Little Paddocks’. Everyone becomes a suspect, with motives ranging from financial gain to personal revenge.

In her writing, Christie masterfully builds suspense, incorporating her signature twists and red herrings. The play keeps the audience guessing until the final revelation, where Miss Marple’s keen insights unravel the true identity of the murderer.

On the whole, I would say that Fylde Coast Players produced an accomplished and entertaining version of this classic murder mystery. The scene was set masterfully by the beautifully designed and intricate set, created by Tim Greenwood, Rich Spilman, Mark Albion and the Friends of FCP. All of the play’s action takes place in the large drawing room of ‘Little Paddocks’ and the set itself was pitch-perfect, with no detail overlooked. A triumph from the outset. Similarly, the costumes by Anne Cruden (and the cast) were hugely effective at creating a sense of believability and comprehensively establishing the era of the piece.

Acting performances were consistent and well-thought out throughout the play but if I was to suggest one area for future development, it would be in the arena of vocal projection. Some actors were, at times, a little quiet and this was not helped by the fact that there were some dead spots in microphone coverage on stage. Talking to a few fellow audience members during the interval, it became apparent that quite a number were struggling to hear all of the nuance of the script. The fault for this is not laid squarely at the feet of the actors or creative team, however, as the main issue was effective microphone coverage, as mentioned.

Lighting and sound were effectively deployed to support the action on stage, and the lighting is worth particular mention. The use of colour at the end of each scene, almost as punctuation or even clues, was highly effective and inventive. Music was also used to good effect, to set the tone of a given scene and cover transitions. However, a couple of the song choices felt a little out of place, in terms of era - most notably the use of ‘Bad Moon Rising’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival, which was somewhat jarring, due to it being released two decades after the play is set. I understand that the tone and theme of the song matched what was going on in the play but for me as an audience member, hearing the song in the context of a play set in 1950 pulled my attention away from the narrative.

Stage management was by Jeff Redfearn, and props were by Kath Greenwood - both of which must have been challenging roles to do well in the midst of this intricate and detailed play, but both roles were performed admirably.

Prompts were provided by Jan Bishop, who had to spring into action a handful of times, which I know must have been frustrating for the cast. However, this play is incredibly dialogue-heavy and even the most accomplished actors on stage wouldn’t have relished the idea of learning that amount of complex and nuanced text.

Fylde Coast Players put a talented group of actors on stage in this play, and there were no obvious weak links in the ensemble. Much of the heavy lifting was done by Kath Greenwood, in the central role of Letitia Blacklock, the lady of the house. There was a calmness and clarity to her performance, which really did set the tone for the piece.

Greenwood was ably supported by her character’s confidant, Dora Bunner, played by Debbie Couchman with flair and a mischievous glint. Her moments of near-hysteria were pitched well and she raised more than a laugh or two from the audience.

The real comedic turn of the piece came from Dawn Martyne, playing Mrs Blacklock’s housekeeper, Mitzi. She gleefully bounded onto the stage throughout the play, delivering acidic one-liners and withering looks to anyone who crossed her path. Martyne’s accent did wander across Eastern Europe on numerous occasions but this was immediately forgivable when balanced against her sterling efforts on stage.

The cast was rounded out by Deborah Morris (playing Julia Simmons), Connor O’Beirne (Patrick Simmons), Bee Scully (Phillipa Haymes), Anne Cruden (Clara Swettenham), Adam Jones (Edmund Swettenham), Mark Albion (Rudi Scherz), Rich Spilman (Inspector Craddock) and Julie Segev (Sergeant Mellors), all of whom gave assured performances which added value to the piece. This play marked the debut performance of a number of the cast but the highest praise I can offer is that their performances were so confident and established that their inexperience was all but undetectable. Bravo!

However, I have yet to mention the role of one key player, who seems ever-present in Agatha Christie’s work - Miss Marple. The role was taken on by Rosemary Roe and she delivered what can only be described as a knockout performance. Roe skillfully balanced Miss Marple’s multi-faceted character, one part kindly grandmother figure and one part shrewd and fearless investigator of terrible crimes. She brought experience and a light touch to the role, and the audience revelled in her skillful work. Roe simply seemed like the perfect person for the job!

Directing duties were undertaken by Tim Greenwood and through his diligent work, it was abundantly clear that he had a distinct vision for and understanding of the source material. He ably supported the actors in developing their characters and managed to skillfully weave the often overwhelming amount of dialogue, clues and red herrings into a hugely enjoyable piece of theatre. There were occasional instances of actors being placed in such a way that they were blocking other performers, which shouldn’t really happen on a stage of that size but on balance, this is a very minor complaint in the midst of what was a very strong piece.

‘A Murder is Announced’ was a hugely enjoyable evening at the theatre, packed with twists and turns. There was a lot to take in and at times, Agatha Christie’s narrative had my brain utterly tied in knots (I’m a simple creature!) but I was completely taken in by what unfolded on stage. Time went by unusually fast and my interest was fully held by what was happening in front of me. Fylde Coast Players are to be congratulated on a fantastic evening’s entertainment and I keenly anticipate their next production. Huge thanks for the warm welcome - I’ll be back!

 

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