Sleighed to Death

SLEIGHED to death by Peter Gordon is a comedy whodunnit and is the prequel whose main character is Sergeant Pratt, latterly promoted (how?) to Inspector who goes on to appear in sequels: Murdered to Death, Secondary Cause of Death and Death by Fatal Murder which are all hilarious, well plotted and full of red herrings and many laughs. The action takes place on Christmas Eve in the manor house of Sir Walton Gates.  

The set, a rich red/green design and was decorated for Christmas (including tree) and luxuriously depicted the affluent drawing room of the Gates’s residents. The garden outside was realistically created. Scenes were changed swiftly; there being not too much to do as the action was all the same day and the same evening. The props were practical, relevant and well used by the cast such as the gun, various papers and a mischievous ferret!

The costumes were excellent and well sourced or made and included a lovely red/maroon dress for the lady of the house, Grace as well as a Father Christmas outfit for Sergeant Pratt’s arrival with Constable Potter’s angel, the dour housekeeper in tweeds and cardigan and Sir Walton’s plus fours – all were in keeping with their characters and enriched the performance.

The lighting was effective throughout, well controlled and  varied in accordance with the demands of the script; almost darkness at one point when a trap was set to capture the murderer.

This play is full of wit, humour and physical comedy. Brian Gillet played Sir Walton Gates as bumbling, vague and eccentric and was amusing. He bounced well off his daughter, Emma (Lisa Neville) who, with her slight speech defect perfectly embodied the spoilt privileged offspring of the time.  Alan Moorhouse had a massive challenge in the role of Sergeant Pratt, especially the convoluted malapropisms in the script, but he rose to it and managed to make Pratt both infuriating and lovable. Sarah Oliver as Constable Potter was the perfect foil for the hapless Pratt and Jennifer Bradley had a chance to shine with her command of accents in portraying Morag, the housekeeper.  Joe Williams had fun with the playboy role of James Washington, Clare Froud was haughty, cold and superior as Sir Walton’s gold-digging wife and Owen Goodyear was impressive as Archie Gates.

The director, Alan Birdsworth and producer, Jill Gillett, technical and creative team worked hard to ensure the success of this production which is more farce than whodunnit. While the action borders on slapstick and might not be to everyone’s taste, this great night was enjoyed by all who were there.   Another success for the Silchester Players.  

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