Rule of the Thumb

 Rule of Thumb, the title of a collection of three one-act Agatha Christie plays, was set to be our entertainment for this evening. Each play had a different director, a different cast, scenery and victim. We the audience were charged with discovering who was guilty. The playlets - The Rats, and The Patient, and The Wasp's Nest, were each murder mysteries with different characters, settings and themes. 

First – The Rats – Directed by Gemma Conway - A murder mystery where infidelity, and deception were to pay the ultimate price. An excellent set of a spacious apartment - several floors up! Well played, by all concerned, you certainly wetted the appetite for what was to follow. A couple of times the volume of the dialogue dropped – but that didn’t impact greatly on a well-played piece. 

After a short break we were treated to The Patient - Directed by Will Cooper.  A 1930s-set thriller that revolves around a hospital experiment on a paralysed woman, with the question of whether she fell or was pushed. Will Cooper certainly had a vision for his set, and your stage crew served you well, it certainly worked, and your players used it brilliantly. So many props to contend with and your actors also gave this piece of short theatre their all, working as a team nicely. Well done to all of them.

Again, a short respite and until we were treated to the last of evenings plays, The Wasps’ Nest directed by Any Harrington. A new set to die for – ‘exact’ and atmospheric - a delightful garden - and Hercule Poirot! Congratulations to Dan Coles on his masterful performance as the famous detective. From entrance until exit it was clear that he was comfortable in the role – stance, voice, and authority. Well played. This, the last of our three mini mysteries, was immediately atmospheric. It was blessed with all the ingredients to complete an excellent evening's entertainment. This production was an excellent example of wonderful collaboration and the stars not mentioned yet are the Crew who made it all possible. 

Regarding the question of ‘who did it’! As Poirot is predisposed to say "It is the brain, the little grey cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within - not without," I’m afraid I didn’t solve one of the mysteries – but was compensated by an excellent evening's entertainment

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