Review: MURDERED TO DEATH By Wellington Repertory at Gryphon Theatre

Reviewed from feedback from a guest reviewer.

Murdered to Death is a play written by Peter Gordon back in 1993. It was originally set in the drawing room of a country manor house in the 1930’s, and begins the first in a trilogy of plays starring Inspector Pratt. They are spoofs of the Agatha Christie whodunnit genre.

The set that was created for this play was of a high standard, well constructed and fitting with what you would find in an 80's house.  

On that note, it was suprising that the directors, Jamie Byas and Oliver Mander, decided to set a play that was written for the 1930's with language to match the era in the 1980's. The program explains that the setting was to make the play more identifiable to kiwis, however I don't think this was necessary and audiences enjoy being challenged.

The acting was of a high standard which is great considering there was a cast of twelve on stage. 

Most notable were Harrison Stuart as Inspector Pratt who lifted the energy whenever he came on stage, with the best comic timing displayed by Constable Thomkins played by Sonique Paewai.  Vince Jennings as Bunting put in a brilliant portrayal as a drunk-something that is very hard to pull off convincingly. Susannah Donovan as Mildred Bagshot and Amy Bradshaw as Margaret Craddock also put in strong performances.

One note that is often raised by me is the need to project.  There were times the actors were hard to hear, even from the front or second row. When there is no audio assistance, it is important to ensure dialogue is delivered clearly and audibly.

The lighting suffered some opening night glitches, with one long delay and lights coming up then back down again without any reason. I am sure this will improve as the production finds its feet and the cues become second nature.

The script was chaotic and amusing, the audience had a great time and the laughter flowed. All in all it was an audience pleasing romp delivered by a cohesive cast.

Well done and best wishes to the cast for a most successful season ahead.

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