First thoughts. Putting on a murder spoof was an interesting choice by the Genesian Theatre Company. Interesting because, for many years,the Genesian Theatre Company’s bread and butter production, the one that brought the most money in for the Company, was their annual, very conventionally produced murder mystery, usually an Agathie Christie. Good on this veteran inner city Theatre Company for belng involved in a bit of genre bending!
American playwright Ed Sala’s BLOODY MURDER sees six guests invited to a soirée at the isolated country estate of the elderly Lady Somerset. One of the guests is murdered before they were going to reveal a dark secret.The stuff of classic murder mystery.
Except what happens next takes everyone by surprise. Lady Somerset announces that the police won’t be called. The Major is aghast. Then everyone notices that the main phone line to the mansion has been cut.
Furthermore, Lady Somerset explains her reasons for not calling the police- it is because she believes that she, and everyone there, are just characters in a novel and that only the writer, their writer, knows thei fate. They all turn their minds to trying to find the writer before he kills any more of them off.
Perhaps he lurks somewhere amongst them?! Perhaps they are actually in a play rather than a novel?!
It’s fanciful and clever stuff by young American playwright Ed Sala. The inspiration must surely have come from Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello’s ‘Six Characters In Search Of An Author’.
Director Michael Henning and his cast have put on a very entertaining Sydney premiere production. Henning gets the cast to play their characters straight and lets the story reveal the difference. Most in the cast play multiple characters and I only refer to their main role in the piece.
Narelle Jaegger began a little nervously as Lady Somerset but soon grasped the mantle. I loved the inflection in her voice when during the play she reiterated, ‘but I am a Somerset’! It was a good job by make-up to transform Narelle into an older woman.
Stephen Holland was very much the old military man as was David Luke, a retired actor who quite liked the idea that he was once again playing a character!
Emma Wright played the exotic Countess, dressed in a stunning red gown (great costume design by Alison Winship) and donning an appropriate wig, with great flourish.
I enjoyed Lois Marsh’s performance as Lady Somerset’s dutiful maid Jane who ‘breaks out’ a bit by the play’s end, and Brendan Kelly was great as Lady Somerset’s ‘dark’, wasp like nephew, Charles. It was a great little role and Kelly made the most of it.
Henning’s creative team- Martin Searle’s set, Alison Winship costumes, Liam O’Keefe’s lighting and Michael Schell’s soundscape each contributed well to bringing Ed Sala’s world to life.
BLOODY MURDER is playing the Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent Street, city until Saturday 2nd December. Tickets are just $30 adults and $25 concession. The booking line is 1300237217.
I have been attending the Genesian theatre for the past 6 years and must say I have not seen a bad play in all that time. Last night’s “Bloody Murder” was my absolute favourite. I have not laughed so much in ages. How clever is the writer Ed Sala! Each actor was superb and the staging elegant and simple. I’m so pleased to hear that the sale of the venue does not mean the end of this exceptional theatre group. Thank you everyone.