Curtain up on murder

Really an excellent choice of play (3M, 5F) giving the useful age range, a compelling murder(s) with many twists to keep the audience on their toes, but above all each character has their moment in the spotlight regardless of the size of role and offers a mix of straight, and drama, and humour, (and of course we all thought that we knew who did it!).
 A very good set and understand that mostly obtained off e-bay and it will return, definitely set the mood for the piece, effects good. Director Laurence Barnett had created the relationships with the characters to bring out the interactions and the play was well cast.
 Richard Crawley was the epitome of the caretaker (stand-in) Harry with the attitude we all know from rehearsal rooms, a good character study, and a twist towards the end of the play. The two young girls Ginny and Sandra (Becky Scott and Beth Robertson) were very believable in their enthusiasm for the play evening and their attitudes to all the characters; and Linda (Isla Butcher) produced the gravitas and grudging resentment needed for her part as wife of Alex. Great strong relationships and sparking of personalities in the two with the affair, Alex (Tom Key) and Sylvia (Samantha Jessop) worked so well together in creating their roles, mood changes well realised, and Martin (Paul Woodhouse) reacted brilliantly to the situation between Alex and Sylvia, directed all with skill, and brought the storyline forward with pace. Just loved the character of Moppet from Maris McCann, and the knitting, sustained well throughout. This was a play to bring out the tensions and the laughs and the situations and OBP did not waste a trick in capitalising on any front, but we found it was indeed a play, and to disguise that situation was masterly.

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