The Murder Room

“The Murder Room” has all the twists and turns and misleading plots that you would expect to find in a murder mystery, but this was unique with a very witty script including a succession of laughs from the literal meanings of words and phrases. With superb delivery, the actors led us up the garden path time after time.

John Varlow directed with expertise and kept the play moving at a good pace of dialogue and stage direction, and speedy changes of scenes from the being of the play to the final scene. The well-constructed set displayed two rooms and was well thought-out with a door leading to the cellar, and a secret door from the cellar cleverly disguised as a cupboard. I liked the trick painting which had everybody fooled. Great sound effects simulated someone falling into the cellar and the whole was enriched with additional sound and lighting effects amply suited to this style of play.  

The cast worked extremely hard throughout the performance and at an amazing speed, especially with lines bouncing off each other like a ping-pong ball. Excellent rapport between the actors was accompanied by their facial interactions which made the dialogue even more hilarious.

The marriage between Edgar and Mavis Hollister doesn’t appear to be all that happy - did she marry him for his money? Edgar is convinced that Mavis is having an affair (she is) and she tries her best to murder him by poisoning. When that fails, she shoots him, and this is just the start of a very complicated plot. Where is Edgar and what has she done with the body?  Police Inspector Crandall, a constable, Lottie the housekeeper, Edgar’s daughter Susan and her fiancé Barry all add their own versions to what happened to Edgar. The characters all had depth and the actors needed a high level of concentration to keep the plot flowing. It was a wonder they knew where they were in the plot which was vital to keep the audience up to speed and on their toes.

Rachael Lilley was amazing as Mavis Hollister, and with an upper-class accent she had her work cut out with plentiful dialogue and different emotions depending on who she was talking to. Andy Firth played the arrogant Edgar Hollister who was not who he seemed to be. With a complete change of character and accent Andy then doubled-up as Constable Howard. He had us all foxed, but who was he really? Another great performance from Andy. 

To investigate the disappearance of Edgar, Inspector Crandall arrives and tries to solve the mystery. But again, we have a character who is not who he appears to be. A great characterisation and acting from Martijn Den Burger-Green kept his true character under wraps until nearly the end of the play.

As in all upper-class homes we must have a housekeeper, and the wonderful and loveable Lottie Molloy kept adding her own version to the events, and she was played superbly by Karen Bedford. Susan Hollister, Edgar’s daughter from his first marriage, had returned from America with her fiancé, Barry. Susan is not all that bright and often took things literally.  Jolene Varlow’s clever interpretation of Susan complete with a very high-pitched voice was brilliant - loved the dress. Susan’s fiancé, Barry Draper, complete with a superb suit and a   haircut befitting an American millionaire, was skilfully played by Fiona Firth with all the right mannerisms and American accent.

The ending is never what you expect it to be. Constable Howard was, in fact, Mavis’s husband, Edgar, who had disguised himself in a false wig and moustache. He could not, therefore, have been murdered. Crandall was not a police inspector, but Mavis’s lover. After a very hectic scene with everyone wanting to kill each other, all the disagreements were sorted out. Did it end happily ever after? Did Mavis get her way? – of course she did.  

To achieve a high standard with this style of play requires good direction, a first-class cast, and the back-up of a dedicated production team. The Pierrot Players achieved this and treated the audience to an enjoyable evening full of laughter.

Thank you for the invite and the very warm welcome.

 

 

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