A Murder is Announced
Review of Performance on 9th November 2023
Pateley Bridge Playhouse
The residents of the village of Chipping Cleghorn are intrigued and concerned when they read an advertisement in the local Gazette stating that a murder will take place at 6.30 pm on Friday 29th October at Little Paddocks, the home of Letitia Blacklock. And so the mystery begins…
Cory Juras, who directed this excellent production, says in the programme ‘I wish you the best in your detective work as you try to piece the puzzle together’. Thankfully the performance was delivered in such a way that our detective work, or should I say guess work, continued right to the end.
From the moment the audience took their seats (now made more accessible courtesy of the Playhouse’s newly-installed lift, operated this evening by Jerry Harvey), the set established the type of house and the era in which the drama was about to unfold. As Julia (Sally Smith) and Miss Blacklock (Debbie Forsyth) entered, the costumes left us in no doubt: the 1950s, stylishly portrayed throughout the performance with accurate props and wardrobe.
The plot is not straightforward, of course. Bunny enters confused and worried, her vulnerability beautifully captured by Carol Bailey, and almost immediately we meet Patrick (Ben Derrick), seemingly sure of himself and not slow to provoke. He and Julia are apparently the typical argumentative brother and stylish and confident sister.
Both Ben and Sally work well together to have us believe the brother and sister relationship, while it is swiftly made clear that Miss Blackstock is elegantly the head of the house. Debbie Forsyth is excellent, and we never question her portrayal throughout this very demanding role.
Mitzi is a joy and Ruth Dodsworth, who plays her, brings humour, wit and lovely timing to the role. Miss Marple joins the gathering throng and Linda Harvey plays her wonderfully, offering a somewhat cheeky smile, a twinkle in the eye and a delivery that is clear and engaging.
More souls arrive. Phillipa, shy and enigmatic, captured with the perfect level of intrigue by Heather Appleton. Mrs Swettenham (Joyce Liggins), smart and nosey, with cousin Edmund (Keith Burton) - who seems more than a little interested in Phillipa.
With the ensemble on stage the overall effect was splendid. An authentic 50s house party, with clothes, mannerisms and hairstyles following suit (I did particularly think Keith’s hairdo worked wonders!). At 6:30 pm: blackout. Bang! Gasps from the audience. Impeccable timing from sound and lights.
Of course, there’s been a murder - so of course there will be police. Enter Sergeant Mellors, a very efficient and smart Claire Prescott, setting the scene for Inspector Craddock (Hugh Cawley) to arrive in an unexpected way. Cawley was absolutely convincing, offering quiet, understated authority. He and Linda Harvey worked really well together, with humour, respect and timing.
As the play proceeded with all sorts of twists and turns, everyone in the cast rose to the challenge of revealing, by various means, pieces of information about themselves, or historical background, in a way the audience could quickly absorb.
Juras has honed his cast to perfection - the performance had pace and energy, but speed of delivery, tone and stress were all varied with a high degree of skill. Simple subtleties – gestures, eye contact – meant there was no risk of the production becoming static. Something was always happening.
One of the delights of the Playhouse is its Thrust stage and this was put to good use. Several audience members mentioned how much they enjoyed the actors coming right up to them on the stage. Again, Juras’ direction ensured that that space was well used, without falling into distracting busy-ness.
Of course, if there is a large space with movement all around it, lighting is important, and it could not be faulted for this performance. So too the sound: music before the performance, during the interval, sound effects, all contributing to the terrific overall mood.
The cast should also be congratulated for the obvious sense of teamwork throughout. Everyone was focused, and that energy came across to the audience.
In summary it was a great production on a terrific set, with super characterisation and engaging storytelling. A really enjoyable evening, but I didn’t make a very good detective. The ending was a complete surprise – which is surely the mark of a good whodunnit, done well.
Michael Thorne