The Great British Bump Off

THE GREAT BRITISH BUMP OFF!! by Lesley Gunn is a comedy whodunnit with an intriguing twist. Set in Crabblebottom village hall, the home of a celebrity chef and at the fete, one of the judges of the cake competition, dies; but was it murder or a nut allergy? As the evening progressed, each remaining cast member had a motive for the removal of Patricia  McLaren.

The sets were excellent. The play opened with a Committee meeting, chairs and table, in front of the curtain. There then followed a lavishly and tastefully decorated home of the celebrity chef, Eduardo D’Angelo. The baking competition took place inside a realistically created marquee, complete with ‘Crabblebottom Fete’ banner and flags. The props were brilliant: cushions, decanter, umbrellas, plants, jugs, glasses and of course, the beautiful cakes! There was great attention to detail such as the red food mess on the front of the baker of the Red Velvet cake’s apron and the various baking ingredients matching up with the cakes.

The costumes were very good and in keeping with the characters. The victim had smart dresses, jackets and shoes, the Major sported a very jolly tie with cake print and celebrity chief, Eduardo wore an obvious (as was later revealed) black wig. There were aprons, summer dresses and a floaty, pale dress for the ghostly appearance of Patricia, after her demise.

This was a great piece of theatre in the hands of a capable and confident cast full of stereotype characters: the pompous Major, the obsessed fan, the obnoxious judge and the over-the-top celebrity. Everyone was perfect, relished their roles and made the most of their characters. There was good pace throughout and the dialogue was delivered briskly and humorously. Joint Directors Jackie Kennedy and first time Director, Yvonne Fairhead, kept things moving along smoothly, keeping the audience engaged and entertained. The audience enjoyed a fish and chip supper in the interval and it was a lovely touch (and in keeping with the baking theme) when trays of muffins was brought out for patrons to enjoy. And the twist? That was the ‘deceased’ reappearing as a ghost!

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