Medstead Players - 'Murder Mystery Evening' - October 2005
Written and Directed by David Rae
Cast in order of appearance:
Sergeant Bob Dear - Mark Aston
Amy Roderick - Sue Millet
Inspector Ticket - Geoff Rushton
Percy Pointer (taxi driver)
Geoffrey Norris (head master of Braybrooke School)
Jennifer Sponge (matron)
Susan Armstrong (vicar of Bellfield)
Emily Wood (school student)
Gerald Samms (school student)
Roy Cummings (police laboratory technician)
Charles Holiday (design technology teacher)
Anya Butt (meals supervisor)
Gervais Sinclair (maths teacher)
Walter Butt (gardener)
Therese Green (French teacher)
Edward Shillingford (solicitor)The action takes place one evening and during the following day at Braybrooke Golf Course and Braybrooke School, which is an exclusive private school for young people, between the ages of 11 and 18. The School has a fine reputation for educational excellence and is highly regarded both locally and nationally.
Inspector Ticket and Sergeant Dear of the Hampshire Constabulary have been asked to investigate what appears to be a terrible suicide. A pupil at the school, Marco Verdi, was spending the evening playing golf with another pupil, Gerald Samms. He was using his electronic wheelchair to get around the course as he was recovering from injuries sustained, when he was the only survivor of a helicopter crash. As the young men approached the 11th tee, which was situated very near to theA31 road, Marco suddenly raced his wheelchair out into the road and was killed outright by a taxi travelling at speed along the A31.
As the action opens Sergeant Dear and Amy Roderick, a police secretary brought in to help with the collation of statements are awaiting the arrival of Inspector Ticket.
Good company, great food and an intriguing murder mystery all combined to make a huge success of Medstead Players Murder Mystery evening in the village hall.
It was my first experience of the talented David Rae's Inspector Ticket & Co. and they were not found wanting.
Not a form of theatre that is usually my choice, I found myself trying to guess 'Who done it?' and changing my mind as each character appeared through the convoluted plot. Full marks to all the guests who agreed or were press-ganged to read parts - such talent. How come we haven't seen them the other side of the curtain.
I did wonder, at the start, quite how they were going to fit the splendidly adventurous three course dinner around a longish script. In the event it was near perfect. Many congratulations to Marion Rogers and the team for the delicious meal, despite the fact that I could not find any rose petals in my sponge!
The evening flowed so smoothly every bit of it tasty and enjoyable and with sixty plus guests each evening - wow!
There can be no limit to the heights to which this multi-talented company can reach - many, many congratulations.
[Ann Bassil]
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