Murdered to Death

Venue : Kingsley College Theatre

Date : June 2011

Genre : Murder Mystery

Director

Peter Round
Director

Jason Trombley
Assistant Director

Cast

Joy Rodgers
Mildred

Elizabeth Round
Dorothy

Ted Rodgers
Bunting (the Butler)

Peter Round
Bunting (understudy)

Mike Beamish
Colonel Charles Craddock

Sue George
Margaret Craddock (wife)

Adam Lee
Pierre Marceau, French art dealer

Alison Trombley
Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpingthon

Estelle Shutkever
Joan Maple

Ed Parrott
Inspector Pratt

Simon Brown
Constable Thompkins

Crew

Martin Alderton
Stage Manager

Jo Key
Sound Effects

Marcus Bridger
Programme

Joy Rodgers
Costume

Jason Trombley
Set Construction

Adam Lee
Set Construction

Peter Round
Set Construction

Val Archer

Val Archer
Properties

Beryl Linforth
Properties

John Parkes
Front of House

Sarah Thomson
Properties

Alison Spencer
Properties

Crew

Martin Alderton
Stage Manager

Jo Key
Sound Effects

Marcus Bridger
Programme

Joy Rodgers
Costume

Jason Trombley
Set Construction

Adam Lee
Set Construction

Peter Round
Set Construction

Val Archer
Properties

Beryl Linforth
Properties

John Parkes
Front of House

Sarah Thomson
Properties

Alison Spencer
Properties

Production Gallery

Production Reviews

Murdered to Death – Review

I have come to expect a very high standard from the Wythall Theatre Company and I was not let down in their recent spoof Agatha Christie play ‘Murdered to Death’.

The immaculate set was an excellent back drop for this 1930’s murder mystery with Joy Rodgers as Mildred, delivering a delightful performance as the host of a weekend party at her county pile, assisted by her niece Dorothy and hindered by her bumbling and sometime drunken butler Bunting, played by Peter Round whose exceptional comic timing made Bunting a joy to watch.

Having discovered that her Aunt Mildred has been duped into buying some dubious artwork by French art dealer Pierre Marceau, played with characteristic enthusiasm by Adam Lee, Dorothy, performed persuasively by Elizabeth Round, sets about a spot of blackmail to teach Pierre a lesson, but things are, of course, not what they seem. The other house guests, Colonel Charles and Margaret Craddock, played larger than life by Mike Beamish and Sue Lister, and Alison Bond’s wonderfully pompous Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpington all have agendas of their own.

When local sleuth Miss Maple arrives, played with exceptional aplomb by Estelle Shutkever, you know someone is going to get murdered, and it doesn’t take very long.

Dressed in classic shabby mac, Ed Parrott gave an impressive performance of the inept Inspector Pratt who, arriving on the scene with his assistant, Constable Thompkins, makes wildly inaccurate assumptions and whilst re-enacting the murder only succeeds in shooting poor Thompkins in the foot. Simon Brown, playing the long suffering Thompkins with great solemnity, gives the impression of being the only one who has any real grasp on what is going on.

This fast moving comedy contains every clichés possible. Several shootings later and everyone has a motive, did the butler do it?

Director Peter Round should be very proud of this show, the audience laughed throughout and the performers were all, without exception, well rehearsed, well cast and well…. mostly guilty!

Roger Green, WTC Website