Brisbane review - Laughs in The Murder Room

By Lilian Harrington

Production: The Murder Room

Company:    New Farm Nash Theatre

Director:        Sharon White

Location:       The Brunswick Room, Merthyr Uniting Church, 52 Merthyr Rd New Farm

Season:         7-23 August @ 7 30pm Sat Mat. 2 pm

Bookings:      www.trybooking.com1493375 / or phone 0418719300

New Farm Nash Theatre‘s third production this year is directed by Sharon White and comes from the pen of English writer Jack Sharkey. The ‘Murder Room’ is a funny English spoof, set in a country estate at the home of a prominent local business-man Edgar Hollister (John Mann), who has married his second wife, the glamorous, yet devious Mavis, (Philippa White), who is not what she seems to be. The opening sequence is the forerunner to this comic-drama with its unexpected twists, confusion, and fast paced energy. The fast cut timing of the plot gives the play the momentum and pizzazz it requires for its genre.

The action takes place over two days at the Bynewood Cottage, a small estate outside Harrogate about 9 pm on a Friday night, after the well-respected Edgar Hollister has married the scheming, Mavis. But all is not what it seems as Edgar’s wife Mavis, has another lover which Edgar is suspicious about when he follows her to a church meeting that was cancelled and she ends up going to a second -floor apartment instead. He confronts her about her motives, but she denies any wrongdoing and then brings out his gun and shoots him, unaware that the gun is loaded with blanks, alarming Mavis as she doesn’t kill her new husband even though she thinks she has.

Edgar is an equal opponent pretending to be a lot older than his years, and Mavis is fooled by his appearance.  He is ingenious and calculating, even masquerading as the policeman, Able Howard. After his disappearance, Edgar is nowhere to be found because he has set up his house with traps and unexpected twists, even with a “Murder Room” which his dopey and forgetful daughter, Susan Hollister (Madelyn Scott), divulges to the police (or who she believes to be the police), James Crandall (Johnathan Knox) and Albe Howard (John Mann).

This complicated plot has many twists and turns and there’s no chance for the audience to fall asleep, as the talented cast along with their housekeeper, the very funny Mrs Lottie Molley (Robyn Stumm), helps keep everyone focused with her local accent and comedic approach.

This play needs good timing to be successfully executed, and with a careful focus and the cast it delivers well showing confidence and gusto in their performance. Strong performances were seen from Philippa White, who played Mavis Templeton Hollister, with her many costume changes over the two -day setting; she appeared to show her new position as the lady of the house in a commanding way. She carried an assertive stage presence and blended with Edgar Hollister. She showed her dominance over Susan Hollister (Madelyn Scott), Edgar’s daughter who had returned from America, after her studies with her new fiancée, Barry Draper (Drew Russell) completely unaware that her father had remarried.

Phil Carney’s well planned set design was cleverly contrived with the window seat where the secret steps could be found leading to the “Murder Room” paired with the sombre green coloured walls, the cellar door, and affective sound and lighting plot, along with the carefully organised costumes that all added to the overall effect.

Director Sharon is noted for her Agatha Christie Productions at Nash Theatre, and this play “The Murder Room “makes for an interesting change in her repertoire. This play will take you by surprise, because there are a lot of laughs.