"Secondary Case Of Death" by Peter Gordon.

Burton Joyce Players.

Burton Joyce and Bulcote Village Hall.

It’s 1939, and storm clouds are gathering over Europe. Having inherited Bagshot House, Colonel Charles Craddock has converted the property into a hotel for the discerning visitor. Soon Inspector Pratt arrives once again at Bagshot House, bearing grim news for the Colonel. But that’s just the beginning - Who is the strange Polish Count? Is Henrietta really an army captain? And where does the flamboyant thespian Cardew Longfellow fit into the picture? When Joan Maple’s sister Cynthia arrives to stage a murder mystery evening, it’s not long before Pratt’s visit turns into a chaotic nightmare as the bodies pile higher than ever!

The action of the play takes place in the library/sitting room of a country manor house in early Spring 1939.

This is the second in the Pratt trilogy of plays written by Peter Gordon, and having seen the first, and third, this production completed the trio for me.

Lady Isadora Pollock is played by Avril McCormack, and brings out the complexity of the character brilliantly. Her portrayal of the flirty American, as part of Miss Maple's staged murder/mystery role will leave you with a grin on your face as she attempts to seduce Count Puchlik.

Count Puchlik of Puszczykowo is played by Greg Nicholas. Now, knowing that when a playwright/author writes in a character which has a pretty bad accent; Puchlik is Polish, it normally means that the character is not all that he seems, but is that character necessarily a murderer, or has he other reasons for being at the Manor? Greg shows more than one accent in the play and convinced me of something that turned out to be incorrect in the end... clever!

Colonel Charles Craddock, is a retired Colonel who inherits Bagshot House and converts it into a hotel. Richard Fife plays Craddock as well as Cardew Longfellow, an actor who was drafted in as part of the staged murder/mystery play that Miss Maple had written for a bit of entertainment at Bagshot Manor. These kind of characters are played so well by Richard, and there's even a bit of stage magic which involves Richard within this play.... I won't say what but it left me with my mouth wide open and completely stumped!

Captain Henrietta Woolmer-Cardington is an ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) officer, and is played by Rebecca Kent. Another brilliant accent, but this play has so many twists and turns that you never really know if the character you see at the start is the character that you end up with at the end, and Rebecca managed to fool me completely, again I won't say how and why!

Cynthia Maple is played by Kathy Matthews, who reminded me visually of Geraldine McEwan in her Miss Marple role. Cynthia Maple brilliantly corrects Pratt at every turn, but how can you make a character with the name Pratt look even more stupid than he makes himself? Well, Cynthia Maple achieves it!

Martha Armstrong, the Manor's Housekeeper is played by Hannah Smith. Only a cameo part, but some of the smallest roles make the biggest of differences to a plot.

Lily Tuthill, the cook at Bagshot Manor is played by Jane Murray. This play is crammed with accents, and you know that I love accents, so this play is right up Accent Avenue for me. 

Nurse Ann Parsley is played by Tracey Evans. Parsley is there to tend to Craddock's ailments, but could you trust a nurse who smiles as much as Nurse Parsley, or is she just happy in her job? Not for long!

Inspector Pratt is played by Christopher Mercer. Now, I said that Richard Fife's character is perfect for Richard's acting skills, well here's another perfect stroke of casting. Pratt is the master of malapropism, and there are so many written in for Pratt that at times it's almost like a machine gun of malapropism firing at you. The script, for all the actors is wordy, and delivering script where the words are all wrong is so much more difficult to perform than a straight forward script. This one just shows what a memory for words Chris has because it's always more difficult to deliver something that is not naturally correct than to deliver the alternative. 

Chris is wonderful as Pratt vocally as well as physically, and just keep an eye on his facial expressions when he is not the focal point on stage. He delivers a masterclass in comic performance. 

Directed by Deborah Craddock. I have seen plays that Deborah has directed before, but this is one show that I will remember for a while. There are some very clever bits to note here, which shows that Deborah has paid great attention to. The meal at Bagshot Manor has to be at eight o clock, specifically requested by Miss Maple, and when Tuthill announces that Dinner is ready, for some reason I looked at the clock on the wall on the Burton Joyce Hall wall, and guess what time it was? You guessed it! And then there's that scene with the theatrical magic involved. I have an idea of how it was carried out but I couldn't see how it was done.... or could that be why I wasn't given my normal seats for this play? Mmmmm I wonder!

Kathy Matthews is the show's Producer.

Sound and Lighting is by Steve Armstrong and David Matthews. Both areas of production carried out without a hitch throughout.

Costumes by Jill Toogood, as well as members of the cast. There are some brilliant costumes in this production. Kathy's Marple costume instantly transformed her into the character. The Dinner Jackets provided the class. Avril's glamorous costume is a sparkly spectacle.

There are loads of props in this play as well, which again shows attention to detail and managed by Donna Atherton and Molly Fitches.

I loved the set design, which made me want to peruse the book shelves, of which there were several. A really glamorous and classy set for which I would love to credit someone for, but the Set Designer was not listed in the programme. Whoever you are, well done for a brilliant looking design.

I am absolutely useless at spotting whodunnit in these murder/mysteries, and yet again, I didn't guess who did it... at all. Wonderfully entertaining and that brilliant piece of live stage illusion, plus the comedy quality was the best. No wonder Peter Gordon plays are in such demand recently when the quality of the writing is this good. But don't forget, a script is just words on a page without the talents of the Director and the cast.

"Secondary Cause Of Death" is at Burton Joyce and Bulcote Village Hall until Saturday 3 May.