A Murder is announced

If you fancy a proper whodunnit, the Thurrock Courts Players have delivered the goods once again with their production of A Murder is Announced at the Thameside Theatre. What starts as a quaint, cosy evening at Little Paddocks quickly descends into classic Agatha Christie chaos, and it’s a fabulous puzzle from start to finish.

The set is beautifully constructed to look like the interior of a mansion complete with old masters on the wall and Tudor beams. The furniture is covered in regency stripes and chenille. Congratulations to the set designers and constructors, which seems to consist of the entire company, on a great set.

Director, Vic Gray, made the brave choice to amplify the stage rather than issue each cast member with their own head mics, which entails absorbing whole new set of techniques in projection of speech and involvement of the audience in the storyline which, in the main, most of the cast had mastered.

The story is introduced by Dora Bunner, played charmingly by Dawn Peat, as a perhaps not-so-batty older lady reading a bizarre announcement in the local paper declaring that a murder will take place at the Blacklock residence at 6:30 p.m. on Friday 13th. During the course of the next day everyone shows up. We have Letitia Blacklock, the lady of the house, played by Christina Ashford who organises everything, Julia Simmons and Patrick Simmons played by Sophie Nash and Max Faulkner, a brother and sister living at the house under false pretences. Edmund and Claire Swettenham, played by Michael Southgate and Victoria Grayling as the busy bodies who always show up to every interesting occasion and Phillipa Haynes, a resident in the house played by the glamourous Natalie Hills. Mitzi, the rather over-the-top maid, was enthusiastically portrayed by Stephanie Firth to stir the pot of confusion and misdirection for the wonderful Inspector Craddock, Wayne Prince, ably assisted by Lily Edmeades as Sergeant Mellors, and Miss Marple herself played by Jill Snelling, to unravel the mysterious murder of Rudi Scherz of whom we only see the prone body. George Andelon plays the part of the deceased Rudi but we see a little more of him in the clever reconstruction scene at the denouement of the play.

Standout performances have to be Jill Snelling as the wonderfully shrewd and all-seeing Miss Marple and Wayne Prince as the Inspector, as he perambulates the stage, hands in pockets considering the evidence.   

The Thurrock Courts Players last performed this show 40 years ago, back in 1985. It's a real treat to see them bring this classic back to the Thameside stage with this timeless murder mystery. It's an escape back to a simpler time, when a good mystery could tie your brain in knots and leave you questioning everything. It was a good night out and many thanks to the company for making me feel so welcome.

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