"A Butler Did It" by Robert Scott.

Burton Joyce Players.

Burton Joyce Village Hall.

Burton Joyce Players always have a knack of finding plays that are not performed that often and turn out to be little gems. This is not a little gem. This is a 24 carat diamond of a play. Possibly the best production that I have seen performed by the Burton Joyce Players.

The stage is split with a police interview room and the rest is the living room in what we imagine to be a large house. What we see and hear within the police interviews are then re enacted in the other half of the stage. 

The Butler family is congregating to attend the funeral of their aunt, Francesca Bloom, who doesn't seem to have been the most popular member of the family. But what you see may not be quite as it seems!

There's a lot of manipulation from some of the characters and what "whodunnit" play would not be complete without a few twists thrown in for good measure? But can we really believe that a Butler did do it, or was it someone else......?

Andrew Butler is a movie star who has done well for himself in Hollywood but has a shady secret, which is revealed not too far into the play. Played by Danny Longbottom, this is an ideal role for an actor who seems to revel in comedic roles.

Kimberley Butler is Andrew's wife. They have just come back from what at first seems like an idyllic honeymoon, straight off the plane, straight to the home of the late Francesca bloom. Played by Kate Purdue, and a worthy match in the acting stakes to Danny.

Freddie Butler is Andrew's brother. Freddie has gambling issues and we find that he owes quite a bit of money to some heavies, who are in a rush to get the debt paid. His wealthy brother has agreed, again, to help him out of his hole, a hole almost as big as some of the potholes around Nottingham, by providing him with the million he needs to clear the debt. But the debt is not the only issue Freddie has! Bertie Black plays Freddie, and as usual, we get a perfectly pitched comedy performance. His scene later in the play with the housekeeper/maid is a fantastic physical farce fest.

Colin Butler is Andrew's other brother and is a nervous wreck. There's a look of Ade Edmondson about Steve Armstrong who plays Colin, who states from the moment he comes out of the closet, literally, that he does not feel at all comfortable being in the same room as his brothers, and we find out why very quickly. Steve does awkward very well, which is just as well because Colin finds himself at the centre of some really awkward situations.

Ester Butler is Colin's wife and played by Rebecca Kent, who I discovered has not done anything in the way of acting previously. Well, you could have fooled me because Rebecca is an acting natural. Ester has to take charge of her husband on more than one occasion; the character is a strong one and Rebecca shows that strength.

Sally Ann Dowling is an eccentric, confused maid who mixes up her words and is there to make sure that the funeral guests are well catered for, maybe over catered. Francesca had left Sally Ann in charge of the proceedings for the funeral, maybe because she has been in service for Francesca for a long time. Several smaller comic scenes for Jane Murray, who plays Sally Ann, but the scene in her work out gear, complete with Tom Jones' "Sex Bomb" in the headphones and "Fifty Shades Of Grey" book to relax to. She finds another way to destress with a member of the gentry! Jane's facial expressions are a dream bit of acting, as are the later closet scenes!

Jasper King Jr is the aged Butler, who like Sally Ann, has been in service to the Blooms and The Butlers for many, many years. Patrick Donough I have seen in several productions, but this role is the best part that I have seen Patrick perform. The whole physicality of the Butler slowly moving from one side of the stage to the other is comedy gold in itself.

Francesca Bloom is played by Avril McCormack, and I think you may have surmised that if Burton Joyce have cast an actor of the quality of Avril, then the role must be more than that of a corpse. You would be right and I don't think that I'm giving anything away to say that this is the first of many surprising twists in this play. And I hope that Avril gets to take home the painting on the back wall of the set home with her after this play has finished.  

Inspector Bridge is the detective on the case along with Inspector Henderson, who is the more enthusiastic of the pair. Played by Richard Fife and Trevor Wright respectively, this pair are well matched in the casting. The scene with Henderson interviewing Colin is a comedy masterpiece, but I won't spoil it by saying why - go and see it.

Dawson is a brief that is assigned to the case. Marvellously camp who may just have a bit of a man crush on the famous Andrew Butler, and the fact that he gets text or Watsapp messages from his mother, complete with emojis is like a modern-day Mr Humphreys from "Are You Being Served". Played by Greg Nicholas, who also plays another role within this production, who may just have an impossible mission to perform.

Directed by Deborah Craddock, this production is one of the funniest farces - even though a farce is supposed to have five doors, who cares the set is two doors short. The first act gives not a lot away, and having never heard of this play, never mind seen it previously, you're at the mercy of the cast to feed you the information, and they do that brilliantly. I had no idea at all what was to happen in the second act and though to myself of what the possibilities could be. My guesses were nowhere near what actually happens! As of the end of the first act, we had no lifeless bodies, but after the start of act two........

Sound and lighting is by Jenny Cowan and Steve Armstrong with the lighting operated by Dave Matthews. Some well timed sound effects and an explosion that even made me jump!

The set has been built and painted by Trevor Moseley, Simon Glover, Stephen Pickerill, Molly Fitches, Christopher Mercer and Mark Craddock, and designed by Marilyn Carr, who is also responsible for the artwork on display on the set.

Many people will only go and see plays that they know, but I love seeing plays that I have never seen or heard of before. Sometimes it's a bit of a gamble, but in the case of this one, it's a gamble that I would wager will not leave anyone disappointed, especially with the Burton Joyce residents who religiously support this great group. It's one of the funniest murder mystery comedies that I have seen ever, which makes me wonder why this play has been hidden for so long. I guarantee that you will leave with a smile on your face.

The cast is a mix of well recognised Burton Joyce Players and new faces, but if you were new to seeing one of their productions, you would not have been able to tell the difference between the new faces and the recognised actors.

"A Butler Did It" is being performed by Burton Joyce Players at Burton Joyce Village Hall until Saturday 4 May. It'll be a crime to miss this one.