Murder Weekend

I was looking forward to Clevedon Players latest production as I review few plays and find them a welcome respite from  so many musicals. ‘Murder Weekend’ is offered by Samuel French the licence holder, as a mystery/thriller and a quote from a local newspaper in Kent says "an intriguing mystery once again from “Bettine Manktelow".

Everything was in place... a strong experienced cast with most of the performers meeting the description of the characters in the script...a good set which was designed and painted well with attractive stage decor and the cast wore modern eye-catching costumes. But in reality it was a rather laborious and pedestrian production with little ‘mystery and few thrills’.

I did watch the play on the first night and there were a few gremlins in lighting and sound and I am sure nerves and cast insecurity played a part with some of the cast taking large numbers of prompts.

The first time director had tried his hardest to inject some realism and life into the ‘book’, but the major problem was the dialogue, the writing of which was wordy, and very far from normal conversation. No wonder the cast had difficulty in learning and remembering the lines. Paraphrasing was obvious when lines went ‘missing’ and the slow pick up of cue lines didn’t help with the pace of the production. The leading characters Livia Wagstaff and Wallace Wainwright worked very hard to inject passion and emotion into the dialogue and all other performers maintained their characters.

The small audience on the first night didn’t help lift this play with its hardworking cast and I know from past performances that Clevedon Players are a talented and accomplished drama group. You all deserve better than the rather slow, dull and predicable material you had to present. I do hope this disappointing choice of play doesn’t stop the talented performer and new director and the committee from trying more challenging and entertaining material.

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