Murdered by Death

Peter Gordon’s Murdered by Death is the first of a trilogy of Agatha Christie comic parodies featuring the inept Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple. It is full of stock whodunnit characters with the usual range of motives and opportunities and with plenty of scope for comic business and dramatic moments including three-gun shots. It is an excellent vehicle for a society with its five male and five female roles and single box set location.

Critical to its success with 10 characters is the blocking in some of the main scenes, the pacing of the production as the investigations progress and the comic timing of the delivery of the lines and the Wraysbury Players got this just about perfect. The pacing was very good, steady enough so we could follow the twists and turns but quick enough, so we did not spend too long reflecting on truthfulness of what we heard. Throughout the cast reacted really well to each other, playing it straight but pointing the comic lines neatly with some very good physical business .

The setting and costumes also showed great attention to detail with some very attractive period furniture, three appropriate framed pictures, an excellent looking sherry in glasses and decanter and well-chosen elegant costumes that helped define the characters. There was a good sense of the thirties period, and the result was an enjoyable gently amusing evening’s entertainment that played to a full house of an appreciative audience. 

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