Murder at the Vicarage - The EDP Write-up

Agatha Christie provides some sharply drawn characters for actors and actresses - and Wymondham College students grasped opportunities in their Christmas production.  They chose "Murder at the Vicarage," one of the author's whodunnits that has converted best to the stage, and proceeded to make a first-class job of it and its varied characters.  While the audience set about the absorbing task of guessing who shot Colonel Protheroe, the players laced the intrigue with some talented individual performances in a good team effort.

There was the shrewdly nosy Miss Marples (sic), of course, a part in which Maxine Brenner produced a character precisely as a reader would imagine her; and as Griselda, the Vicar's wife, Gillian Lomas showed natural ability.  Two other female roles produced highly pleasing performances. Cathy Youngs, as the maid, revelled in her part and Rachel Dunsire really played up to the part of the bitchy snob, Miss Price Ridley.  Among some fine male performances, that of Peter Walton as the deceptively languid artist stood out - cool and easy and yet in complete control.

Credit, too, to those in the Clergy roles - William Blake as the Vicar and Henry Andrews as his nervous and meek assistant.
Of the others, Martin Hammond made a good Inspector Slack, Maria Benstead a suitably used innocent, Anne Protheroe, and Jenny Ralfs a fiery Lettice, her daughter. Leading able support were George Taylor, Justin Philcox and Philip Jones.

T.G.R.

Contents The Gallery 1980s Productions Murder at the Vicarage - Write-up