Written by William Dinner & William Morum
Directed by Dianne Nicholls
There were evenings of high drama at Medstead Village Hall when the local dramatic society presented that tense Victorian thriller, The Late Edwina Black, by William Dinner and William Morum.
It was unusual to see on the programme a cast of only four persons, one of them being the detective, as most "whodunnits" require a large number of players, all possible suspects, to keep the audience guessing.
At Medstead there were only three, the lady's maid, the companion and the late Edwina's husband, with the part of the detective played by John Gregory.
The scene was set in the living room of Amberwood House, the home of the wealthy Edwina, who had been an invalid for seven years. The room was sparsely furnished for a Victorian mansion, but it was brightened by a number of attractive pictures on the walls.
The sombre mourning gowns worn by the two ladies emphasised the solemnity of the occasion, and the knowledge that the body of the late lamented was lying upstairs, awaiting interment, added to that feeling of suspense, so essential in a good mystery play.
There seemed to be traces of first night nerves in the early stages and Anita Prior, the snooty, but devoted, lady's maid seemed stilted in her movements and Ann Penn, as the companion, took some time to settle down. Even Stan Whitcher needed help from the prompter.
The arrival of the police inspector brought active life on to the stage and John Gregory was splendid in the role. With his breezy personality, his touches of wry humour and his confidence in the therapeutic properties of a nice cup of tea, he created the character if a very considerate and shrewd detective.
Stan Whitcher, playing the husband, was the local schoolmaster who was enjoying a clandestine love affair with his late wife's companion, much to the indignation of Anita Prior, the maid.
The plot thickened when traces of arsenic were found at the autopsy, and with the indication that the loving couple were preparing for a holiday in Italy. But these were false alarms.
It was after the funeral that Ann Penn and Stan came into their own, with a most dramatic scene in which each accused the other of deceit, lying and murder. The accusations, explanations and frequent reconciliations were bandied back and forth from one to the other like shuttlecocks, with tempestuous outbursts from both sides.
The suspense was well sustained by both players and the hidden clues and forgotten references kept the audience guessing throughout.
In the last act, all was made clear and the jealous Edwina finally carried out her vengeful scheme, even from beyond the grave.
It was an exciting play, though rather long drawn out towards the end, but a most difficult venture for an amateur society to tackle. With only four performers holding the stage for over two hours, the task of memorising the long and quick-fire dialogue was most formidable, but it was full marks for each of them for the enthusiasm with which they carried it off. It was a delight to be able to hear every word of the dialogue from all four of them.
The director, Dianne Nicholls, kept the action moving swiftly, and the suspense when the lights failed was most effective.
The ladies, elegant in their sombre mourning clothes, brought back nostalgic memories to the older members of the audience.
N.C.
Cast:
Gregory Black - Stan Whitcher
Elizabeth Graham - Ann Penn
Inspector Martin - John Gregory
Ellen - Anita Prior
