Murder In Play

Murder In Play - Boris Smolensky's budget repertory production of "Murder at Priorswell Manor" is looking decidedly shaky. The cast are more interested in their egos than the play and life imitates art when Boris's wife, Renee, is murdered on stage. Simon Brett's hilarious text, ruthlessly satirizes the politics of the inept company and the numerous red herrings keep the audience guessing until the final moments of the play.

I wanted to applaud the set when the curtains opened.  It was creative, functional and most attractive.  The set was very well dressed with enough bits and pieces to make it functional without unnecessary items. All the props were well chosen and handled.  Such a busy on stage ‘stage manager’ played by Pat Goodenough whose temper was always under control. Mike Smith and his team did a superb job of creating the set.  The lighting was very subtle and used to convey the right time of day.  The sound effects were well managed and effective.  The costumes and makeup were most appropriate for all the characters.  The dresses for the ladies were well chosen for the ability to be worn by more than one person when the cast ‘changed’. Both the uniform for ‘Major Rodney Pirbright; and the costumes of the eccentric ‘Mr Papadopoulos’ were just right.

The director, Sue Pinfold, took eight superb actors and moulded them into this very believable touring company acting out a play within a play.  The diction, the awareness of others, the sense of timing and the stage presence all combined so well create this superb evening’s entertainment.  The characters were so well cast and worked really hard to give the audience a wonderful evening.

Congratulations to everyone involved for giving us such a first-class evening’s entertainment - would that there could be more such humour abundant in our everyday lives.

Kay Rowan - South East Councillor

               

 

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