November 1999

Hello, Is There Any Body There?

A Farce by Ian Hornby
Directed by Beryl Gadd

All is dull and peaceful at Squire Grange. Lady Amelia searches for new ideas for her latest mystery novel as Sir Malcolm sleeps off the excesses of another idle day. Family friend Freddy is persuaded to try and think of new ideas. Meanwhile the hapless Vic Tim arrives and is promptly dispatched by an unknown assailant. Everyone tries hard to discover the murderer before he or she can strike again. The first problem, however, is how to get rid of Vic's body, not just because he is making an untidy mess on the stage, but also because he has to come back in ACT II as a policeman! Smalls, the butler, and Mabel, the maid, try to assist the inept police (and Sir Malcolm attempts to give the delicious WPC Nunnall a hand too) but not in time to prevent the Producer being murdered. There is even a suspicion that someone may have poisoned the audience. Eventually Miss Marbles arrives to reveal, Agatha Christie-style, the culprit, who also happens to be the play's prompt. Or is there another culprit? This hilarious farce steadfastly refuses to take itself (or anything else) seriously.

Cast

Lady Amelia Simpson-Squire	June Brogdale
Sir Malcolm Squire	Paul Burrows
Freddy Lyons	Martin Sidebottom
Mabel	Barbara Goffin
Dianne Sides	Christine Monks
Vic/DC Fickey	Paul Bidston
WPC Nunnall	Linda Bradshaw
Smalls	Andy Rushman
Miss Marbles	Ann Crawford
Prompt	Michelle Gwillam