Miss Marple Whodunit for Limelight in WA

Things are not always what they seem – as evidenced in the September / October production at Limelight Theatre, Wanneroo (W.A.), with its puzzle of scattered clues, mixed motives and concealed identities.

Written by Agatha Christie and directed by Sue Mainwaring, A Murder Is Announced is set in an English country village house and features the famed amateur detective Miss Marple.

In A Murder Is Announced, a killing is advertised in the local paper with the location – and people turn up, waiting for the crime to unfold.

Miss Marple arrives after the murder occurs and attempts to solve “whodunit” with the local police inspector.

Mainwaring – who also plays the role of Miss Marple – wanted to direct an Agatha Christie play because she is “timelessly English”.

“She incorporates sub-plots and twists and turns into her stories, which inevitably feature quirky country eccentrics,” she said.

“The story then unravels and is eventually brought together and re-wound by her sleuthing abilities.

“Each story is completely different but skilfully and intricately written with humour.”

Featuring a large cast of different ages, A Murder Is Announced has a healthy mix of young people and older characters, necessary for the plot.

“One of the challenges of a large cast is creating a balance, especially when strong middle-to-upper class accents are required and have to be maintained throughout the play,” Mainwaring said.

“Another task is creating two drawing rooms that have been made into one, using the usual furniture and Victoriana clutter, while having most of the actors on stage at the same time.”

Involved with Limelight Theatre for the past 15 years, Mainwaring is a theatre jack-of-all-trades having acted, directed, built sets and helped with costumes and properties, as well as serving a two-year stint as president.

She has won awards for best actor, best production and best set and has also produced Cats and Annie at the Regal Theatre, along with performances at the Playhouse and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre.

With A Murder Is Announced, Mainwaring is adamant people will be attracted to the well-told story.

“It will take you back in time to a period where life was, on the appearance, simple but with deeper intrigue,” she said. “It’s a completely different style from today’s hustle and bustle.

“Television has brought Miss Marple to the modern audience through its many recent re-makes, bringing out the intrigue and humour.” 

Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced plays from September 29 to October 15 2011 at Limelight Theatre, Civic Drive, Wanneroo.

www.limelighttheatre.com.

To keep up with the latest news and reviews at Stage Whispers, click here to like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Images from top.

Miss Marple (Sue Mainwaring, right) looks for clues in A Murder Is Announced as tensions between brother and sister Patrick (Spencer Ford) and Julia (Ashlee Torrens) run high.

Miss Marple (Sue Mainwaring, centre) tries to find out whodunit in Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced with Jason Pearce, Tymon Kidd and Spencer Ford.

Foreign housekeeper Mitzi (Alyssa Burton, left) is admonished by English spinster Letitia Blackmore (Karen Tropiano) as Miss Marple (Sue Mainwaring, right) tries to figure out whodunit.

Looking for clues… Miss Marple (Sue Mainwaring, left) investigates whether the items held by Edmund (Jason Pearce), Mrs Swettenham (Ann LeRoy) and “Bunny” (Edwina Mann) have anything to do with the murder.