Murdered to death
Parlour Players
Wednesday 11th - Saturday 14th November 2026
My first experience of a Parlour Players production proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable one, with their performance of Murdered to Death delivering an excellent evening of theatrical comedy. A playful spoof of a country-house murder mystery, the production embraces all the familiar components of the genre: eccentric characters, suspicion, unexpected twists and of course, an increasingly baffling investigation.
There is something particularly entertaining about a murder mystery that parodies itself and this production certainly understood the assignment. The script provides plenty of opportunities for comic misunderstandings, exaggerated personalities and ridiculous situations. The cast (under the direction of Ros Tunbridge) made the most of them. There was a real sense that everyone involved was enjoying themselves, which translated into an infectious energy on stage.
The production has a strong ensemble cast, with each performer bringing their own personality and interpretation. The comedy relies heavily on timing, expression and the ability to make the most of some deliberately absurd situations. Particular performance highlights for me included Caroline East (Elizabeth) and Mark Storey (Pierre) whose characters initially blended into the ensemble but in the second act, transformed their characterisations (both physically and vocally) to reveal their true identities. Peter Damesick (Bunting) as the useless butler, had the whole audience in stitches with his drunken behaviour in the second act. Sue Woods brought an effortless elegance to Mildred, perfectly capturing the character's position as lady of the manor. Although the death of a key character was inevitable, it was a shame we only got to enjoy her for such a short time.
Stealing many of the evening's biggest laughs was Simon Vines as Inspector Pratt. His performance was packed with physical comedy, impeccable comic timing and spoken humour that landed very well. Whether through an exaggerated movement, a perfectly judged pause or the delivery of a line, he had a natural understanding of how to extract the maximum possible laughter from every moment. His portrayal. perfectly captured an inspector whose air of self-importance was matched by his complete lack of awareness of his own incompetence. One standout non-verbal comedy moment was seeing him attempt to remove the marks he left on the walls from his gloves.
The Colonel (Christopher Hunt) also deserves a special mention. I have to admit that, initially, I found his constant grunting/harrumphing a little frustrating. What initially appeared irritating gradually revealed itself as an exaggerated caricature of the stereotypical army man from that era. His mannerisms, bluster and general air of self-importance all contributed to a character who was amusing precisely because we was so over the top. By the end, what had at first seemed a little excessive had become one of those comic details that made the character memorable.
Another aspect of the production that warrants recognition is the set created by Phil Rathbone and Bill Ainscow. The simple stage of a local church hall had been transformed into the living room of a 1930s country-house. It is easy for an audience to take the setting for granted, but the work and commitment behind the scenes should never be underestimated.
If I were to identify one area where the production could have been tightened, it would be the scene changes. These felt a little prolonged at times and occasionally interrupted the otherwise smooth flow of the evening. The first change was sufficiently lengthy that I noticed a few audience members began to wonder whether we had reached the interval. A shorter transition would help maintain the momentum and keep the audience immersed in the story. That said, this is a relatively minor criticism in the context of an otherwise very slick production, and fortunately there are minimal scene changes in this play.
For me, this was a lovely introduction to Parlour Players. With the society's 50th birthday celebrations approaching, it seems a fitting time to recognise the contribution that local theatre groups make to their communities. Reaching such a milestone is an excellent achievement and represents five decades of creativity, entertainment, friendship and countless hours of dedication from the people who have kept the society thriving.
If Murdered to Death is anything to go by, Parlour Players have plenty to be proud of. The production brought together a strong cast, memorable characterisations, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to create an evening that was thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.
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