Make It Murder

Once again Fellowship Players returned to the Bluecoat Academy for their production due to The Grange Playhouse still being renovated. They are also helping to raise money for the Playhouse and collections were taking place as the audience left at the end of the play. It is good to see societies helping each other in times of need.

Make it Murder was set in 1965 and the stage design, props and costumes reflected the time.

A gentle “who dun it” the cast were comfortable in their roles and although a predictable plot they brought out the mystery and the laughs. Good to see Alan Lowe (Bernard Ridley) back on stage although he didn’t last very long committing suicide quite early into the action. Bernard’s cousins, Amy Manclark, (Housekeeper),(Kay Munday), and Elizabeth Manclark (the dotty one) (Jill Simkin) were there to keep the household in order, helped along the way by family Solicitor Mortimer Beresford (Dale Roberts) and his pretty sister Mary (Naomi Leeanne Millard). Enter the romantic lead Paul Clarkson (Dave Brown) dismayed to find that his brother Bernard had died and was in no position to lend him money. 

The family very quickly shared the thoughts of how they would be spending their inheritance following Bernard’s death but they were quickly disillusioned when Mortimer informed them that the Insurance Policy would not be paying out any money as suicide invalidated the policy.

Sense and reason was brought to the chaos of all that was happening by schoolboy Ben Peterson (Ben Hayfield) who had come to spend the school holiday with Bernard. He offered plausible explanations and excuses for the death while everyone else dithered about whether to inform the police or not and even suggested they removed the body from the lounge to the bedroom to make the death appear as a murder.  

Time for the police to make an appearance, Detective Inspector and Sergeant (Ray Lawrence and Les Garrett), and the Doctor (Emma Thorpe), all seeking explanations for the “murder.” To all of this mayhem add a very expensive, missing, diamond necklace and you can imagine the chaos that ensued. I will not divulge all the ins and outs of the plot but the ending saw dotty cousin Elizabeth on stage alone extracting a diamond necklace from her handbag.

A most enjoyable evening with a full house audience showing their appreciation in the time honoured way.

 

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