DEATH ON DELIVERY

Bramrocks Murder Mystery, ‘Death on Delivery’, and how good an evening we enjoyed (and meal), and I cannot work out how you changed the ending for the next night!

What a really good set on stage, with all character cottage and dressings in place, to really show off the actions brought together by Beth Marshall in her directorial role.

The mix of family and other exponents of the plot were well selected and cast giving some nice character roles and interactions.  As sisters Ada (Rosalind Middleton) and Annie (Sandra Barker) in totally contrasting styles and characters worked well as foils for each set of actions and lines, one strict and thrifty, and the other effervescent and excitable and definitely OTT in perfect fashion.  And add a daughter Rose (Charlotte Harbord Bye) who tries to calm the situations, or does she, and hopes for the money, and the family circle is complete. 

And add a son-in-law Geoff (Paul Tranter) who is out of work, rather feckless (and possibly underhand and deceiving) who also wants money, plus his helpful mate a Sainsbury delivery man (Joe Daniels) who gets embroiled in the plot and who do we believe?  A friend (or foe?) secretary Rita for Rose from Jaci Evans, and is she involved in the plot?  And of course the creepy and possibly underhand solicitor from Robert Coyle, who from his first appearance regarding the will, we all suspected of being the arch-villain.  All the possible suspects present and spreading clues and red herrings throughout the actions, building the whole feeling with questions, and offering many possibilities to the crime and the solution, good atmosphere as we, the audience, tried to unravel the plots and reasonings and resulting finale.

And in charge, both of audience and actors, in a commanding yet calm position, Clive Gordon as the Detective Chief Inspector, really a dominant but beautifully underplayed role that controlled the entire evening.  Not only was he resolving the murder as a part of the play, but also fielding the questions and clues from audience participants, and not always being helpful to save the story, and generally calming the mayhem that could have resulted.

This was a real fun and entertainment evening and very much enjoyed by the audience, and offering roles to many of the group.

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