York Theatre Royal – until 21 October 2017. Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
4****
Middle Ground Theatre Company present Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced, a Miss Marple and classic whodunit mystery, adapted for the stage by Leslie Darbon.
The story revolves around a middle-aged spinster Letitia Blacklock (Janet Dibley) who shares her home with an older companion Dora “Bunny” Bunner (Sarah Thomas), her two younger cousins Patrick and Julia (Will Huntington and Lucy Evans), widower Phillipa Haymes (Alicia Ambrose-Bayly) and the Hungarian refugee cook and housekeeper Mitzi (Lydia Piechowiak).
A notice appears in the local paper of Chipping Cleghorn, “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm.” Villagers are intrigued by the notice, including the visiting Miss Marple (Louise Jameson), and start dropping by thinking it is all just a game. At the stated time the whole household and a couple of neighbours, Mrs Sweetenham and her son Edmund (Cara Chase and Dean Smith) congregate in the drawing room, only for the lights to go out, shots to be heard and a dead body lying on the ground. Inspector Craddock (Tom Butcher) turns up to investigate the crime with the somewhat meddling assistance of Miss Marple. We are even “treated” to another murder.
The action takes place in two drawing rooms in an early Victorian house in 1950, with all the chintz, lamps, twinsets and pearls of that time. This staging certainly looks the part and is really effective.
Whilst the whole, quite star studded, cast did a wonderful job with the witty dialogue, I really enjoyed the performances of Butcher as Inspector Craddock, wasn’t sure at first but he really shone through, Dibley as Letita and Jameson as Miss Marple. I should also mention Piechowiak’s hilarious performance of the bonkers Mitzi and her “Delicious Death” cake.
With its unexpected twists and turns that keeps you guessing, and with a few laughs thrown in, it makes for a great night out at the theatre and well worth a watch.