Murder in Play
- Nov 18th 2010 7:30 pm to Nov 20th 2010 7:30 pm
18th – 20th November 2010, 7:30pm
DORRINGTON PLAYERS
Church Stretton’s amateur drama group
present
MURDER IN PLAY
a comedy thriller by Simon Brett
directed by Jim Rossell
If you enjoyed the play-within-a-play format of “Play On” which was produced by Jim Rossell in 2002, then you’ll love this. The plot centres on a third-rate repertory company’s dress rehearsals for “Murder at Priorswell Manor”, the script cleverly and ruthlessly satirizing the politics within the company.
The highly accomplished Dorrington Players skilfully feign ineptitude when acting the ham actors acting – an achievement akin to Les Dawson playing off-key – and they do it to hilarious effect.
As director Boris Smolensky (Peter Thorpe) makes vain attempts to control his mutinous cast, it becomes clear that the offstage jealousies and rivalry amongst the actors surpass the drama within their production. Boris’s wife Renée Savage (Karol Warren) is envied by Christa d’Amato (Susan Roberts) a fading soap actress, who feels Renée gets all the best parts! Harrison Bracewell (Adrian Bayling) has a bit of a drink problem which doesn’t help with his difficulty remembering lines! And Boris has a particularly stormy relationship with his long-suffering stage-manager Pat (Helen Townend).
When it seems things can’t get any worse one of the actors is mysteriously killed. Sophie Lawton (Mary Stephenson) becomes a kind of Miss Marple trying to unravel the mystery, assisted by Tim Fermour (Richard Haswell). The rampant egos amongst the company of actors mean that each could have a motive: Was it the jealous Christa, or Ginette, Boris’s pretty but scatty mistress (Elizabeth Walsh)? Or even Boris himself? But despite all the drama offstage, the show must still go on!
The play runs from Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th November 2010, in the Silvester Horne Institute, High Street, Church Stretton SY6 6BY, starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are available in advance from Burway Books, 10 Beaumont Road, SY6 6BN and John R Thomas, 3 Sandford Avenue, SY6 6BH at £5.00, or £6.00 at the door.
A donation will be made from the proceeds of the play towards the refurbishment of the Silvester Horne Institute.
Enquiries: 01694 751376
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