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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Murdered to Death
The Nonentities
The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster
**** PETER Gordon's play takes the traditional
weekend country house murder mystery and effectively spoofs the whole
genre. Instead of a super smart sleuth cleverly
outwitting the killer we have the bumbling Detective Inspector Pratt.
There’s more than a touch of the Clouseu and Basil Fawlty about him and
the script is littered with innuendo and more malapropisms than you can
keep up with or count. Set in a country manor house in the 1930s the
host Mildred, after inviting several friends for a weekend of
entertainment, ends instead as the murder victim. Like any classic
Agatha Christie, plot begins with the characters and their conflicts.
Everyone seems innocent until a series of conversations reveals all is
not quite what it seems. Mildred the host is passionately played by
Isabelle Waring. Troubled by the attitude of her ageing and sarcastic
butler Bunting, played beautifully by Richard Casewell, she prepares for
the guests’ arrival with her niece and companion Dorothy played by
Georgina Taylor. Fist to arrive is the doddery Colonel Craddock,
brought to life by Stan Barten and his polite yet maligned wife played
convincingly by Sandy Tudor. The Craddocks are long time friends but as
soon as Mildred and the Colonel are alone a secret is revealed. Next is the well named Elizabeth
Hartley-Trumpington and art dealer Pierre Marceau seemingly companions
only by coincidence of being on the same train .Laurie Pollitt was
superbly elegant as the aloof Trumpington and Joseph Harper revelled in
his exaggerated French accent as Pierre. An uninvited arrival occurs in the form of Miss
Maple played by Joan Wakeman mimicking the guise of another famed
amateur detective. Unfortunately her presence is something of a red
herring as in the end she has not slightest idea whodunit. Once the dastardly deed has happened the crime is
investigated by the sensible Constable Tompkins played nicely by Alex
Parkinson and the ridiculous Detective Pratt played intensely by Bob
Graham. Whilst the constable seems quite adequate at
observing the facts of the case Pratt is sidetracked, confused and
mistaken at just about every possible thing from people’s names to
simple placement of the telephone receiver. Whereby other productions have had other cast
members adding to the performance chaos, director Pamela Meredith
focused the comic action on the role of detective Pratt which made it
something of a challenge. It makes for the play to be slightly unbalanced
in that the extremes of Detective Pratt, whilst always amusing are
largely unnoticed by the entire cast who play their parts with a great
deal of reality. There is little exasperation at his continual mistakes
and a heightening of the general chaos would have helped the comedy. It’s the kind of play that might seem fitting for
an amateur company but bringing off this requires a balance in the
performance and a great deal of comic timing. Some of the clever lines
get lost, sometimes in the eagerness for the comedy but the ensemble
more than make up for it and in the end delivered a highly funny and
entertaining evening. To 28-01-17 Jeff Grant 24-01-17
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