Death By Fatal Murder

If you are looking for a play which contains a manor house, a make believe family, an phoney welsh medium, a fake Italian man, some very dodgy policing as well as a love story which seems like an affair and all that  topped off with a fatal murder then this is the play for you.  ‘Death by Fatal Murder’ was written by Peter Gordan and is the third in the ‘Inspector Pratt’ trilogy. This set of plays are spoofs of Agatha Christies ‘whodunnit’ stories. The comedy play contains a very complex plot, with many twists and turns with a somewhat unexpected ending. Clitheroe Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society did a sterling job with this script and really managed to bring it to life.

This is an extremely funny a play, but is incredibly wordy. The cast however managed to portray the story very well and made it as clear at they possibly could. There were some varied and interesting characterisations adapted by the cast which enhanced the production. Some exceedingly good accents were used and the cast somehow managed to maintain them throughout, this added to the humour.

Direction was superb, making the most of the very strong cast. Showing the quality that is within the society and using the cast to their full potential. The play does however have a somewhat confusing ending. This was no fault of the cast, but it does leave you thinking as you exit the theatre. Also the way the stage was set, with the use of a fireguard at the front of the stage, along with a companion set was interesting. This gave the audience a ‘fly on the wall’ kind of feel. As we were in essence sat on the chimney breast wall which contained a fireplace and a picture.

Both lighting and sound were superb, along with expertly timed sound effects and the ‘ghostly’ going on’s. The way the pictures moved at the end was a nice effect, along with the haze upon the opening of set doors. The set was well constructed and of an extremely sturdy nature. Everything functioned as it should and there were no wobbly moments. Also it was expertly dressed with appropriate furniture. The authenticity of this set helped to make the play even more ‘real’.

The use of radio microphones in a play setting is a rare occurrence for community based theatre. Most plays choose not to use them due to the technical issues, as well as the cost involved. However this was a valued addition to the play as the audience were able to hear every word. The extra effort that went into ensuring the quality of the sound and the timing of the cues was welcomed and definitely worthwhile.  

Our favourite section of the play was the séance scene in Act Two. The characterisations and excellent portrayal of the script really brought the humour out. The special effects including the smoke from the apparent fire caused by the inspector all worked well and helped to depict the farce, which the scene required.

The society brought a funny and entertaining production to the stage with a high level of professionalism throughout. The direction, cast, set and technical were all of a very high standard. This society obviously approaches its plays in the same manner as its bigger musical productions.  This extra effort means the standards they achieve are superb. It is appreciated by all, as can be seen by their large audience numbers. We would like to thank for society for their kind hospitality and the Front of House team for looking after us. We are once again looking forward to the society’s next musical production of 'Me and My Girl' which is to be staged next February.

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