The Promise and Murdering at the Vicarage

THE PROMISE and MURDERING AT THE VICARAGE are two very different short plays, both written by H Connolly, a member of the Compton Players. The Promise is a serious piece (with moments of light relief in its black comedy) when Stacey’s father and husband clash after her death.  And Murdering at the Vicarage is a very funny example of coarse acting along the lines of Noises Off as an am dram group faces a series of mishaps in their rehearsal. It was an excellent combination for the evening’s entertainment.

Both sets were excellent and they made good use of the black back-drop and minimal furniture and props. The dummy used in “Murdering at the Vicarage” deserves special mention as does Mary Warrington (and other unseen Players) for its operation. Its ridiculousness was hilarious.

The costumes were ideal with each character being well defined by their outfit. Naomi’s “ghost” dress as Stacey was excellent. 

The characters were well cast and there were some good, solid, performances notably from Ann Griffiths who appeared in both plays. All the characters were well developed and the acting was even and well rehearsed. There was much to enjoy. There was strong direction from H Connolly and Eric Saxton and both plays were of the highest standard. Compton Players should be proud to add this evening to their list of successes.

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