Stage murder is a terribly tricky business. We’re so used to TV and film murder with all that ‘real’ blood and static corpses that when the ‘dead’ body (so blatantly downstage centre) is perceived to be inhaling so healthily it’s not surprising when a titter runs round the audience. Nor is it an entirely unexpected reaction when a burst of unfortunate laughter greets the death by gunshot of the baddie.
However, Strictly Murder, written in 2006 by Brian Clemens (the creator of TV’s The Avengers and The Professionals), is a fascinating tale set in a rustic Provencal cottage in 1939. It certainly keeps you guessing. And it’s probably the first time that Hitler’s voice has been heard in the hallowed confines of the Palace Theatre. I enjoyed it all even if some of my time was spent pondering trivia questions such as (a) did green Beryl Ware cups reach France in the thirties and (b) why don’t people lock their back door? The answers are (a) probably not and (b) because there wouldn’t have been a play if they did.
The present production directed by Bruce James for Bruce James Productions has Mark Moraghan from Holby City as a Nazi baddie. I liked his quasi-avuncular tone and appearance. He certainly fooled me. Nick Barclay plays Peter Meredith, who has holed up in this remote corner with Katie Funk playing Suzy Hinchcliffe.
Both manage their roles with aplomb. David Rumelle plays their neighbour Josef who is appropriately disturbing and Jasmin Darke interprets Miriam Miller as though she’s straight out of central casting. Can’t think why the phrase ‘I shall say zis only vonce’ kept going through my head. Anyway, it was an entertaining and refreshing change from all that TV crime and the theatre was encouragingly full.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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