Murdered to Death

This play written by Peter Gordon takes place in the lounge of a country manor house in the 1930s over a period of 24 hours. It is a highly amusing ‘take-off’ of an Agatha Christie murder thriller with a great Miss Maple delightfully performed by Sarah Papouis.  She was Miss Marple personified with the walk, posture and costume to enhance her part.  There was the inevitable ‘old bill’, a constable performed by Jo Smith who was a delight to watch. Her facial expressions and quick witted reactions upheld her personality to the end.  Her boss, Inspector Pratt, so aptly named, was brilliant providing most of the comedy.  His dialogue was exceedingly difficult to learn as it was made up of malapropisms in every sentence and his actions reduced the audience to fits of laughter every time he came on stage. The butler performed by Roger Pizzey also gave an excellent performance and the rest of the cast provided great contrast in their various roles. The set was beautifully designed and built by the cast under the guidance of Alan Fryer and Peter Saunders and the costumes and props looked very correct for the era. The full house was what I have learnt to expect from this great village society whose productions are always a credit to the members. 

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