Murder mystery plays are always a treat, combining entertainment and intrigue to string along the audience as they try to figure out the ending before it happens. Answering the question at the heart of the play in the title, however, is a bizarre twist that only opens up more questions, and add in comedy with outlandish characters and you have yourself a enjoyable night of theatre! Tea Tree Players’ latest offering of The Butler Did It!, directed by Brian Godfrey, is a fun, and, at times, madcap take on the murder mystery genre that keeps the audience guessing and giggling.
Under Godfrey’s direction, the cast worked well together to develop distinct characters and keep a steady pace throughout the piece, and deliver on both the comedic and dramatic high points as the story unfolded. The fourth wall breaking at the mention of murder, physical comedy and ad-libbing during moments of action were all well-executed.
Adrian Heness as the proper and shrewd butler Jenkins was convincing in his performance and well cast as the conduit for the audience, and maintained a strong stage presence, even when bound to a chair for much of the action! The often flustered and reputation-obsessed Lady Miranda Covington was deftly portrayed by Chris Galipo, who had a hilarious dynamic with Damon Hill’s dithering, blustering and bumbling Colonel Nigel Covington. Hill’s performance was a highlight of the night, landing his one-liners with impeccable comedic timing and offering hilarious facial expressions to the audience. Another standout was Tim Cousins as the scatterbrained and garrulous Father Timothy, whose cluelessness earned frequent laughs from the audience, to whom Cousins was highly responsive. He knew exactly when to milk a moment and when to move the story onwards. Jessie Morgan made a strong entrance as the outgoing and determined Kat Convington who wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, a welcome spin on the usual characterisation of a rich heiress, and Cathie Oldfield as the clever and calculated Edwina Corry created much intrigue for the audience. Emily Sharland as the hot-tempered Sarah and Kyle McCarthy as the cheeky Trevor Barstow ably rounded out the cast, along with batty old Gram, who delivered on many of the comedic peaks of the performance, though more cannot be said without giving spoilers (or being found at the wrong end of her terrifying weapon).
A staple of Tea Tree Players’ productions, the elaborate set was carefully designed by Hill, the open spaces and multiple entry points providing the necessary room to accommodate the physical comedy. The lighting by Mike Phillips, normally simple but effective, also had its dramatic moments to shine.
There was a smattering of lost accents and dropped lines that perhaps would have enhanced the comedy even further, though every moment was successfully recovered by an ensemble who clearly look after one another – always pleasing to see!
Don’t let the title fool you into thinking the game is given away before the show has begun – there is plenty to surprise and delight you in Tea Tree Players’ The Butler Did It!, and I highly recommend you make the trip to see some excellent comedic acting.
