Whitehaven Theatre group's murder mystery farce is a must-see

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society: Murder Mystery, is a wacky Agatha Christie-style whodunnit with plenty of laughs.

Structured as a play-within-a-play, a group of ladies from an imaginary Townswomen’s Guild put on their annual murder mystery in which everything goes wrong - with hilarious scenery collapses, missed cues and forgotten lines.

The murder mystery is set in the drawing room of Checkmate Manor where the family are gathering for the reading of Sir Reginald Bishop’s will.

The play may have the longest title in theatre but also has the smallest cast who play numerous roles with great fun.

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society: Murder Mystery performed by Whitehaven Theatre Group (Image: Dave Wilson)

A standout performance from Louisa Morton as Felicity who hilariously switches between the roles of Pawn the Butler and Colonel Bishop with perfect comic timing and her own added little quirks.

Shaun Donald as Gordon plays the role of hapless inspector O’Reilly perfectly, while Vanessa Turpin is superb as club chairman, Mrs Reece. Jodie Morgan as Audrey has also been perfectly cast as Lady Doreen Bishop and Hannah Dorney as Thelma plays each of her roles brilliantly.

Full marks to director Maria Morton, who keeps the action moving and understands the nature of farce.

There’s even a fashion show and a murder mystery quiz, complete with a prize so be sure to pay close attention to the finer details.

This production is a triumph from start to finish and will have the audience laughing out loud amid the confusion and chaos.

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society: Murder Mystery is showing at Rosehill Theatre in Whitehaven from Wednesday until Saturday.

To book tickets, go to: www.rosehilltheatre.co.uk