Murder With Ghosts

Murder with Ghosts is a witty take on the classic whodunnit, in the style of accomplished writers such as Agatha Christie. Set in the ancestral home of Lady Constance Cholmondley (Connie), during a glittering house party, this play is full of intrigue and murder. The play opens with a wonderful box set filled with interesting and appropriate furnishings. There is a Chesterfield style sofa, a drinks trolley, a fireplace, bookshelves, paintings, and a very amusing statue of the Goddess Diana that we are informed was modelled on Lady Constance herself. The set boasted three separate exits and entrance doors. These allowed the chaos of the story to ensue as the characters came on and off the stage. 

The lady of the house, Connie, was played by the fabulous Annemaria Jones. An experienced actor who led the company through the action. Annemaria was perfect for this role. She remained composed throughout, nursing and talking to her little dog, Kitchener; much to the amusement of the audience. Her diction and projection were excellent as she calmly glided across the stage amidst the chaos of the other characters. A lovely performance. Dafydd Pesic-Smith played The Hon. Peregrine Villiers (Perry). Dafydd had an impressive presence on the stage. He started the play speaking appropriately using received pronunciation and playing the part of the amateur sleuth with care and precision. The contrast in his manner and use of language when he became a ghost was superb. His ability to make the audience laugh aloud is a tribute to his excellent comic timing. Dafydd played this larger-than-life character with flair and gave a super performance in this role. Kevin Dalziel and Rosie Jones played Greville and Selina Harcourt, Lady Connie’s nephew and niece. Greville was delightfully irritating and devious. He changed his approach at the drop of a hat, from the smarmy buttering-up of his aunt to the villainous killer. The pace of change for Kevin was relentless as he tried to control the situation. A lovely character that was played, exceptionally well by this actor. Rosie Jones gave us a super portrayal of Selina, Connie’s naive niece. She only believes the best of her brother and will not have anything said against him. When she enters the story, she is exactly what would be expected of the younger female. However, once she is dead her change in character comes as a refreshing surprise. Her comedic timing and flirty approach to Perry is fun and brings the character to life. It is a pleasure to watch Rosie develop her craft; she is a delight to watch. A fabulous performance. Kevin Taws gave us a wonderful, pompous interpretation of Count Wildenstein. His stereotypical portrayal of a baddie worked very well in contrast to the more rounded Percival Villiers and created another comical dimension to the play. Sue Downes played Signora Frapelli with confidence and flair. The character comes across as both eccentric and mysterious, which suits the style of the genre and matches audience expectations well. Sue delivered the role effectively, not only performing it convincingly but also looking entirely suited to the part. Both Kevin and Sue gave the audience super characterful performances. The ‘help’—the impudent butler Jespard and his sidekick, Bagshot—were played by John Owen and Deb Astles. John, a veteran of the stage, gave an impressive performance in this role. Jespard, acts as the butler to Lady Constance while his interest lies primarily in the deceit that is brewing behind the façade. The over-confidence and arrogance of this character is obvious from the offset. This gives the audience someone to focus their suspicion on and adds to the intrigue that follows. A superb performance from this actor. Deb Astles gives a super performance as the maid, Bagshot. She captures the character convincingly and portrays the role with confidence. Her transformation is especially effective when Bagshot learns that she is about to inherit a fortune, creating a clear and striking contrast in the character’s behaviour. Nigel Skinner gave a strong performance as the solicitor, Dulverton. His physical interpretation of the role was both comical and distinctive, helping the character stand out within the performance. At the same time, his outwardly unassuming manner encouraged the audience to overlook any possible connection to Lady Constance’s concerns, allowing him to remain effectively under the radar. This was an impressive performance that played an important part in shaping the outcome of the story.

The costumes for this production were completely appropriate. Annemaria looked like the Lady of the House, Villiers tailed coat worked perfectly and the tennis outfits added authenticity to the choice of period.

The play contains a great deal of action throughout, so it requires careful and effective direction. Entrances and exits need to be timed meticulously and the managing of characters; some acting as ghosts and some as living, needs to be both convincing and comical. The audience needs to be under no illusion as to who is alive and who is dead. The director achieved these objectives superbly. There were occasional issues with blocking, which are difficult to avoid on such a busy stage, and a couple of the characters’ volume dipped from time to time. However, these were only minor flaws in what was otherwise an excellent production.

The unintrusive use of a tinkling of music to indicate the passing on a character from life to death, was used perfectly. The changes in accents and attitudes, beautifully reflected the freedom of not having to adhere to the conventions of the period. However, I must congratulate the Director and cast on their faultless discipline in ensuring that the living characters never made eye contact with those who were meant to be dead. What an achievement! Fantastic!

Thank you Denbigh Phoenix Players on a wonderful production of Murder with Ghosts. You certainly gave me and your audience an evening of entertainment and laughter and I cannot wait to see what you do next.

 

The views in this report are solely the opinion of the writer.

 

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