Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer

April 30th, May 1st and 2nd at the Riddell Memorial Hall

The play takes place in the London flat of Brindsley Miller, a young, aspiring sculptor, and his fiancée, Carol Melkett. Desperate to appear well-off and sophisticated, Brindsley has, without permission, “borrowed” expensive antique furniture from the flat of his fastidious neighbour, Harold Gorringe, an antique dealer who is away for the weekend. The plan is to impress two important guests expected that evening: Carol’s stern, military father, Colonel Melkett, and a wealthy German art collector named Georg Bamberger, who Brindsley hopes will buy his sculptures. The play starts with the stage in complete darkness.  Just before the guests arrive, the main fuse in the flat blows, plunging the entire building into “darkness”. In a brilliant theatrical twist, the stage lights come up for the audience to see the characters stumbling around as if they are in complete darkness. When a match or lighter is lit, the stage lights dim to simulate the limited light source. Chaos quickly ensues as unexpected visitors arrive, one by one, into the pitch-black apartment. Miss Furnival, wanders in and accidentally consumes a significant amount of Scotch. Colonel Melkett arrives and is unimpressed by the situation. Harold Gorringe returns home unexpectedly early, forcing Brindsley into a frantic, physical comedy routine as he tries to return the purloined furniture to the hallway without Harold noticing. Clea, Brindsley’s former, more free-spirited girlfriend, also appears, having slipped in unnoticed. She overhears the others talking about her and subtly begins to sabotage Brindsley’s engagement plans. Through a series of hilarious misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and slapstick mishaps, Brindsley’s web of lies unravels. When the actual millionaire, Georg Bamberger, and the electrician, Schuppanzigh, arrive, they are mistaken for each other. Eventually, Clea reveals herself, Harold discovers his stolen furniture, and the engagement is broken off. The play concludes as the electrician finally fixes the fuse, plunging the stage into genuine darkness for the audience just as the characters “see the light” of truth and the consequences of their deceptions. 

The Gage Players present, in association with Stagescripts, Agatha Crusty and the Village Hall Murders by Derek Webb.

Agatha Crusty (pronounced Croosty) is a crime novelist. She’s also pretty adept at solving crimes. And when her sister-in-law Alice invites her to spend a few days with her in the village of Chortelby, it’s not long before she gets caught up in a series of murders which seem directed at members of the All Saints Village Hall committee.

From Toby, the Vicar, and Eleanor, Chair of the committee, to Harry Knott the caretaker and identical twins Olivia and Oliver Truscott-Pratt, there are plenty of suspects. And with an investigating officer as incompetent as D.I. Twigg, there are plenty of laughs as the murders begin to pile up.

But, while packed full of wit and very funny scenes, this is also a genuine murder mystery with an ingenious plot which will tax the little grey cells of the audience at the same time!

Our Winter 2019 production

Our play was Good Things by Liz Lochhead.

Set in a charity shop on three different days in one year – Twelfth Night in January, Valentine’s Day in February and Christmas Eve in December – Good Things is a poignant and funny play with a lot to say about finding love later in life.

Performance dates at The Riddell Hall were 28^th, 29^th and 30^th November, 2019.

Our spring 2019 play was Curtain up on Murder by Bettine Manktelow

An amateur drama group is rehearsing in a theatre at the end of a pier. A storm is building up and any thought of leaving the theatre is baulked by finding that somehow all the exit doors are locked from the outside. A ghostly presence flits across the stage and when the assistant stage manager falls to certain death through a trapdoor, the players begin to flap. Then one of the actresses is found poisoned, and it becomes clear that a murderer is in their midst . . .

Our November 2018 offering is Ladies Who Lunch by Tudor Gates on 29th and 30th November, and the 1st December.