Murdered to Death

~~This play by Peter Gordon is well loved by the amateur theatre and appears to be in great demand throughout each successive year and St Austin’s certainly relished the challenge of this farce which lampoons all other whodunit mysteries.
The centre of the plot is the will, and who gets what if something happens to one or other of the beneficiaries and so the scene is set. Guests arrive, formally introduced by the totally erratic and pompous butler who obviously disapproves of their arrival and all the extra work it will put on his not too willing shoulders.
And so after all have arrived, the murders begin.
Mildred Bagshot, played by Julie Daugherty, the house-owner and Dorothy Foxton (Katy Ryan) her housekeeper gave good performances creating impressions of genteel ladies struggling to survive, whilst Colonel Charles Craddock was confused and suitably cowed especially when confronted by his Amazonian wife Margaret (Joanna Jackson).
Mark Marland as Pierre Marceau, a so-called artist and painting expert had just enough of a very dubious French accent to convince the audience that he was not all he pretended to be, and in this role he was more than ably abetted by Liz Brooks, playing Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpington, the scheming, apparently high society lady with the morals of a habitual criminal aiming to get what she can at anyone’s cost. 
Jools Greenwood as Miss Maple (a character based on you know who) added delightful touches in her eccentric way showing us how the most devoted amateur sleuth can get it wrong most of the time with her mangled thinking and muddled ideas.
John de Tute as Constable Tomkins gave an excellent performance as the long suffering aide to Inspector Pratt (Steve Waite) who delighted and astonished the audience with his grasp of the malapropisms and mood changes in this completely useless and incompetent investigating officer in this murder mystery.
However, much as the cast gave very good renditions of their roles the accolade must go to Ted Woodhouse, as Bunting, the Butler who gave a superb performance of a recalcitrant servant who wished to do nothing but indulge in the sherry bottle at every available opportunity. His drunken scene was impeccable and it is not often one sees an actor carrying this through with such aplomb.
The scenery was kept simple but effective, a good solid set which did not move as doors were constantly slammed and Anthony Channer’s lighting was par excellence.
The Director, Keith Lowe must be well pleased with the efforts of his cast and the overall level of production which gave a small but enthusiastic audience a good evening’s entertainment.

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