Agatha Christie's
✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5
A Murder is Announced
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
9th - 14th December 2019
✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5
A Murder is Announced
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
9th - 14th December 2019
A Murder is Announced is back and still entertaining Agatha Christie fans
Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries are always popular and this production by the Middle Ground Theatre Company Ltd of a Murder is Announced is no exception.
The familiar tale has an announcement in a local newspaper in the village of Chipping Cleghorn, that a murder will take place at the home of Letitia Blacklock. As a result a group of people turn up and expectantly wait to see what happens. Suddenly the lights go out, shots are fired and as expected somebody dies. Of course, Miss Marple is there to unmask the murderer.
However, one of the things that excites people so much is trying to work out who the murderer is. This play has been touring for four years, and was actually performed at the Palace theatre in 2017, with a mainly different cast. It has also been on TV recently with Zoe Wannamaker and Catherine Tate. There is a danger that the twists and turns are so familiar that there are no surprises and everybody already knows, ‘whodunnit!’
Adapted from Christie’s novel by Leslie Darbon, this production makes no attempt to revise or update the story. There is none of the quirkiness that we are used to in TV versions. It is played conventionally straight, in its own period, with a well-designed living room set, and the statutory French windows of an upmarket property.
All of the characters are well played by familiar faces from TV such as Kazia Pelka ( Heartbeat) and Lucy Evans (Coronation Street). There is a lovely performance by Jenny Funnell (As Time Goes By) as the ditzy Bunny. Additionally, Holly Jackson Walters as the sour faced, Eastern European maid, understudying the part, makes it her own. The Bill’s Tom Butcher, as Inspector Craddock, prowled around the stage, setting up trick situations with the authority you expect from an Agatha Christie detective. If anything, the character of Miss Marple (Last of the Summer Wine’s Sarah Thomas), did not dominate the story enough. The denouement at the end, explained in great detail, with revelations and the existence of relatives that we didn’t know about, could have been confusing for some of the audience.
The production was a little static and slow, but that is the way these murder mysteries were always played in the past. The audience found it reassuringly old fashioned, with touches of humour and were obviously enjoying it.
There was also some excellent violin music covering the scene changes, although I was a bit puzzled why when the victim was killed we were greeted with a version of Irene Goodnight.
I suppose that really the fans of Mrs Christie don’t really care who the murderer is, they just enjoy the unravelling of the mysteries, the familiarity of the elderly lady with her knitting bag and all the red herrings, smoke and mirrors.
The play continues at the Palace Theatre Westcliff until Saturday 14th December at 8pm.
Review- Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
For the following tour dates see:-
http://www.middlegroundtheatre.co.uk/Wordpress/a-murder-is-announced/
The familiar tale has an announcement in a local newspaper in the village of Chipping Cleghorn, that a murder will take place at the home of Letitia Blacklock. As a result a group of people turn up and expectantly wait to see what happens. Suddenly the lights go out, shots are fired and as expected somebody dies. Of course, Miss Marple is there to unmask the murderer.
However, one of the things that excites people so much is trying to work out who the murderer is. This play has been touring for four years, and was actually performed at the Palace theatre in 2017, with a mainly different cast. It has also been on TV recently with Zoe Wannamaker and Catherine Tate. There is a danger that the twists and turns are so familiar that there are no surprises and everybody already knows, ‘whodunnit!’
Adapted from Christie’s novel by Leslie Darbon, this production makes no attempt to revise or update the story. There is none of the quirkiness that we are used to in TV versions. It is played conventionally straight, in its own period, with a well-designed living room set, and the statutory French windows of an upmarket property.
All of the characters are well played by familiar faces from TV such as Kazia Pelka ( Heartbeat) and Lucy Evans (Coronation Street). There is a lovely performance by Jenny Funnell (As Time Goes By) as the ditzy Bunny. Additionally, Holly Jackson Walters as the sour faced, Eastern European maid, understudying the part, makes it her own. The Bill’s Tom Butcher, as Inspector Craddock, prowled around the stage, setting up trick situations with the authority you expect from an Agatha Christie detective. If anything, the character of Miss Marple (Last of the Summer Wine’s Sarah Thomas), did not dominate the story enough. The denouement at the end, explained in great detail, with revelations and the existence of relatives that we didn’t know about, could have been confusing for some of the audience.
The production was a little static and slow, but that is the way these murder mysteries were always played in the past. The audience found it reassuringly old fashioned, with touches of humour and were obviously enjoying it.
There was also some excellent violin music covering the scene changes, although I was a bit puzzled why when the victim was killed we were greeted with a version of Irene Goodnight.
I suppose that really the fans of Mrs Christie don’t really care who the murderer is, they just enjoy the unravelling of the mysteries, the familiarity of the elderly lady with her knitting bag and all the red herrings, smoke and mirrors.
The play continues at the Palace Theatre Westcliff until Saturday 14th December at 8pm.
Review- Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
For the following tour dates see:-
http://www.middlegroundtheatre.co.uk/Wordpress/a-murder-is-announced/
For tickets at Southend go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Mon to Thu 8pm plus Thu 2.30pm - £32.00, £30.00, £25.00
Fri and Sat 8pm plus Sat 2.30pm - £33.50, £31.50, £26.50
Concs: £2.00 off (exc. Fri and Sat 8pm)
Under 16s £21.00
Senior Citizen Mid-week Matinee Special £27.00, £23.50
Group Discounts – 10% off groups of 10-19, 20% off groups of 20+
Prices shown are inclusive of any applicable booking fees.
Mon to Thu 8pm plus Thu 2.30pm - £32.00, £30.00, £25.00
Fri and Sat 8pm plus Sat 2.30pm - £33.50, £31.50, £26.50
Concs: £2.00 off (exc. Fri and Sat 8pm)
Under 16s £21.00
Senior Citizen Mid-week Matinee Special £27.00, £23.50
Group Discounts – 10% off groups of 10-19, 20% off groups of 20+
Prices shown are inclusive of any applicable booking fees.