Murdered to Death
Peter Gordon
Waddington Dramatic Society
Waddington Village Hall
18 - 20 May
Peter Gordon has written three wonderfully witty plays, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, each mercilessly spoofing the murder mystery genre, taking an affectionate jibe at Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple mysteries. Waddington Dramatic Society have selected the first in the trilogy, ‘Murdered to Death’ and have approached the story with gusto.
From the very first minute we are transported to the 1930s via the wonderful theme tune (composed by Robert Steadman) playing as the curtains open to reveal an elegant, beautiful period scene evoking the 1930s setting.
We are in the lounge of Bagshot House and as Dorothy enters (played brilliantly by Kayleigh Hellard) she dances along to a song on the radio. Dorothy is then interrupted by the entrance of her aunt Mildred (played with petulant snobbery by Beth Johnson.) Both ladies are newcomers to the society and portray their characters with zeal and confidence. Mildred is a wealthy but vain woman and the generational difference between her, and her slightly frumpy niece (who acts as her companion and housekeeper) is beautifully enacted. Mildred is having some guests to stay the weekend and she is extremely anxious that everything will go to plan.
Her butler Bunting (played with weary insubordination by Gary Wright) is continually undermining Mildred his employer and even accuses her of drinking the sherry! Gradually the guests begin to arrive; Colonel Charles Craddock a stereotypical character featured in every Agatha Christie novel (played with blustering bristling conviction by Tony Graves) and his sarcastic long-suffering wife (played by with restrained acidity by Maria Wagstaff.) Next is the flamboyant entrance of the flirtatious socialite, Miss Elizabeth Hartley Trumpington (played with mischievous seductive gee by Dee Horne) and accompanying her Pierre Marceau (the French Art Dealer) played by Andy Brown, who has obviously been watching too many re-runs of ‘Allo 'Allo!
The scene is set with secrets and blackmail - when suddenly an unexpected visitor turns up unannounced, Miss Joan Maple from the village, a wonderful portrayal of an absent-minded busybody by Joan King. Suddenly, the Colonel’s service revolver goes missing and a murder is committed.
But this is a comedy, right? And so, it is with the entrance of Inspector Pratt played with razor-like wit by Neil Markland, ably assisted by the long-suffering Constable Thomkins played gallantly by Dale Storey. The entire cast are playing it dead straight, but it looks like Inspector Pratt didn’t get the memo. From his very first entrance, his constant malapropisms constantly getting every character name wrong (Colonel Haddock and Butler Bumsting) and perfectly timed physical ‘pratt’ falls, (with a nod to Peter Seller’s Inspector Clouseau), show that he is no ordinary police inspector. Needless to say, his constant bumbling and mishaps result in much more chaos - but will he solve the crime, or will the audience die laughing first? I particularly liked his toe-curling interview with Pierre pretending he could speak fluent French but failing miserably as his facial expressions and nods further confirm his complete incompetence.
Directed by Julie Addison (Julie’s fourth time having previously performed and directed the NODA nominated The Flint Street Nativity) this production certainly does not disappoint - with well-rounded characters and attention to the subtle nuances of the script, it is the perfect choice for the groups upcoming 55th anniversary. Julie is also responsible for designing the set featuring period furniture and wallpaper. Extra attention to detail is ensured by the elegant 1930s details, including a working telephone, servants’ bell and flickering fire (courtesy of Peter Cheseldine), to the beautiful garden back-drop and paintings (created by Adrian Peill) which form the heart of the show. Everything contributes to the whole 1930s ambience including the interval songs. Authentic costumes (provided and sourced by Jane Kelly) ensure that each character looks the part. David Ridout (stage manager and technical support) has created a subtle lighting effect that adds to the overall feel of the show.
I won’t give away the plot details, suffice to say it is a hilarious observation of the snobbery of middle-class society with each character concealing their own personal secrets – no one is who they seem and, as the evening concludes, you are kept guessing ‘whodunnit’ until the very last and final scene.
‘Murdered to Death’ is playing at Waddington Village Hall from Thursday 18th until Saturday 20th May.
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