THE FARNDALE AVENUE HOUSING ESTATE TOWNSWOMEN'S GUILD DRAMATIC SOCIETY MURDER MYSTERY
by David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin Jnr
25 May 2005

Moulton Drama Group MDG www.mdg.org.uk

THE CHALLENGE
Though 1 can see the attraction of all the fun involved in staging one of these pieces they really are fiendishly difficult to make funny. If you, do not manage to strike the right note with the pace, timing, characterisation and performance energy the audience will fail to laugh.

SET - Janet Morris & the set building team
All of the crucial elements of this collapsible set had been carefully designed and managed so that the maximum impact was achieved from the chaos at the beginning of the plat. By using tall flats upstage the upside down fire was made very funny when the Inspector had to stretch up very high to warm her hands.
The treads on stage right functioned well and the false door was nicely secure so that all the attempts to use it were convincingly foiled. The curtained arch was effective as was the window and plenty of space had been left behind it for window leaps and comings and goings to be seen.

LIGHTING - Peter Burkey & John O’Shea
This complex plot was ably managed and there had obviously been good collaboration with the sound team as the standard lamp and telephone ring episode illustrated. The lighting behind the window allowed for all the gaffs of people walking across to be clearly visible. The reduction of lighting for the projection scene was at just the right level for us to see Thelma struggling with it. The lighting in the auditorium so that Mrs Reece could be seen as master of ceremonies had also been carefully plotted.

SOUND - Steve Birtwistle & Dave Hunter
Finding the right effects to do the job here must have been fun and the decisions you had made were most effective. Everything from complex crash sounds to phone rings to horse and car sounds worked very well. The choice of clock chime was good and the over-long sound effects were just right as was the timing for those effects which happened too soon. In this piece you have to work against instinct to a certain extent due to the nature of the beast and this you managed very well.

PROPS - Linda Bantock & Joan Christie
The props requirement here is extensive and you really rose to the occasion with everything being well chosen for purpose. It’s impossible to mention everything but certain items were especially effective. The doctored chess board worked splendidly as did the tray with glasses and drinks stuck on it. The dozens of tennis balls, coming from all directions, was very funny and the choice of bright red luggage heightened the joke that every person who arrives has the same items with them. You did well to find such a shiny tray for Pawn to use to dazzle the audience and the piece de resistance was the parcel with the wire attached.

COSTUME - Sue Huband & Janet Morris
The contrast between the everyday characters and the characters within the murder mystery were nicely shown. The distinction between different characters plated by the same person was also good. The trench coat worn by the inspector and the safari suit worn by the archaeologist were particularly effective. The maids outfit worn by Regine was very risqué and the performer managed it with flair. Additional items such as the shiny hats and canes for the dance were also good and the costumes for the fashion show were splendid particularly the futuristic one with its most impressive headdress.

ACTING

MARIAN PUGH / INSPECTOR REILLY - Lyn Slinger
This player managed the contrast between her Townswomen's Guild character and her role as the Inspector very well. The manly strutting and deepening of the voice she adopted worked beautifully and her focus and involvement at all times was very strong. Her reactions were excellent as for example when she realised that the fire flat had been put in upside down and her facial expression when forced to use a tennis ball instead of a glass was a joy to behold. She collaborated well with Thélma so that the timing of their "pain" duologue was good and their song and dance routine lovely. Well done.

PHOEBE REECE / CLARISSA / REGINE - Sheila Hetherington
Using well articulated speech and a commanding air this player carried off the introductions clearly. However the character could have been developed a great deal further conveying the sense of panic and urgency as well as the characters impatience with others in the guild. Her appearance as Clarissa, though brief, made a strong impression as she strangled herself and affected a most impressive demise. As Regine she was very brave flaunting her feather duster and her dodgy accent and enjoying her moment of triumph at the end as she got the others to perform the re-write.

BRENDA SPARROWLEGS / PATRICIA / LETITIA / MR GOODBODY - Sheenah Wiseman
This player managed to make all of her characters distinct and very funny. Her appearance in the futuristic costume had a terrific impact thanks to her focus and carriage. As both the horsy Patricia and the melodramatic Letitia she showed neat timing and dramatic flair which added to the comedy of the piece. Her presentation of the will as Mr Goodbody was clear and effective.

FELICITY GOODBONES / JOAN / VIOLET / MRS KING - Sarah Flannery
This player differentiated well between her different characters and 1 particularly enjoyed her as the elderly Violet and her leap out of character when her contact lens went missing. Her energy as the archeologist was good.

JOYCE HALFCROWN / PAWN / COLONEL KING - Bev Slobom
Though this player entered into the spirit of the piece with her portrayal of Pawn both vocally and in her posture there was definitely more mileage in the character which needed help from the director to bring out. I very much enjoyed her dazzling of the audience and her general rudeness. As the Colonel she was very funny and the costume change confusion worked well and was aided by a splendid moustache. She showed the disappointment at being pulled out of the action by domestic matters very clearly.

THELMA GREENWOOD / DAPHNE / ROSE - Karen McCabe
In her guild character this player coped very well with the projector and was very brave prancing about in her aerobics gear. There could have been a little more done with the acrimony which exists between her and Phoebe which would have added to the comedy. Her energy as Daphne was really good and the tennis scene was a treat. She showed her infatuation with the inspector very clearly and the duologue and dance were both excellent. Her change to Rose was really marked and her swapping from the wheelchair very amusingly managed.

AUDREY BECOMING / DOREEN - Gill Birtwistle
The wandering entrance in the first scene to sit and read centre stage was managed very naturally: As Doreen this player had a nicely imperious air as the lady of the house and her breaking out of character to give recipes and cleaning advice was very well managed.

DIRECTION - Sue Green assisted by Joan Christie
This series of plays presents an enormous challenge to an amateur company as they were created For professionals pretending to be amateurs whereas you have to manage to be amateurs pretending to be professionals pretending to be amateurs and as yet I have not seen an amateur society succeed fully. However you had cast an enthusiastic team who were very brave about tackling the task. The production had some very entertaining moments and was underpinned by excellent technical support but the audience response indicated that all was not well. Despite what should have been funny action at times on stage the audience was quiet and at this point this kind of play becomes embarrassing.
It is not easy to pinpoint how it could have been better though certainly more development of all the characters would have helped. Some cast members had gone quite far with this and it would have been great if everyone had played at the same level. Also the pace was often too sluggish, labouring points which could have been handled more lightly.
My advice to anyone considering of these scripts is leave it alone but I applaud you for trying.