The Farndale Avenue Murder Mystery by David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin Jr

Hull Film Theatre
June 21-23 1990

The world's worst drama group attempt to put on the cheap and cheerful thriller ‘Murder At Checkmate Manor’. A riotous comedy in the inimitable Farndale manner.

Cast

Mrs Reece

Val Howell

Thelma

Ailsa Oliver

Felicity

Sharon Rogers

Audrey

Dianne Keetch

Gordon

Ray Rumkee

Henry

Dave Barber

David Plummer

David Burton

Directed by David Burton

From Our Chairwoman

Welcome to our latest production and our first since we won second prize at the Townswomen’s Guild Drama Festival two months ago. How time flies. Welcome also to the Hull Film Theatre; with the unfortunate double booking of the Farndale Community Centre for the Over 80's Morris Dancing Championship, we were fortunate to find such a wonderful venue at such short notice. A big thank you to all the staff who have been so helpful to us for our first production here. A big thank you also to our director, David Plummer, who stepped in when Len Hollis had to drop out due to ‘personal problems’. I am sure you will all be pleased to hear that Len is now fully recovered and will be released back into the community shortly. David is, as you know, a ‘pro’ who has just finished a successful tour of the Outer Hebrides with the Godot Theatre Company and their production of ‘I Was A Teenage Chicken Drumstick’. I’m certain you will all agree that David’s professional eye for detail has made such a difference to our performances. It only remains for me to wish you all an enjoyable evening.
PJ Reece (Mrs)

Acting of the highest order!
"What strong arms you have, Inspector"
The Critics Rave

In a play where everything is supposed to go wrong on cue, no real mishaps occurred. The Haltemprice Herald drooled, “The Chameleon Players carried off exceptionally well a play that could have easily become tiresome with the continual mistakes and complicated plot.” They even mentioned the chicken drumstick from the spoof programme notes. At least someone found it amusing! Val “as Thelma Greenwood played her role wonderfully”. Er...didn’t Ailsa play Thelma. All in all we “produced a very entertaining evening”. Far more entertaining than England v Egypt in the World Cup.

Director's Commentary

It is almost de rigueur for an amateur drama group to put on a Farndale Ladies play. McGillivray and Zerlin must be coining it in. Rehearsals can be a laugh riot but it needs rigorous planning and a well-drilled cast to make sure everything that can go wrong, does (if you get my drift).
Of all the Farndale plays we did we made the best job of this one (and probably should have left it there). There was a freshness of approach and a spontaneity of performance that the others seemed to lack. David

Felicity comes on (as the wrong character)
Cheap Publicity Shot

There really is a Farndale Avenue in Hull so we used the opportunity to take several cheesy publicity photos of cast and crew. The one above is the least cheesy. Heaven knows what the residents thought.

The Audience Won’t Notice

Dave Barber never 'got' this one during rehearsals, and it wasn't until he watched the first half sitting in the audience one night (he wasn't on 'til Act II) that he realised it was actually funny! On the last night he would have spent the second half in the audience as well if David hadn’t sent our long suffering ASM to drag him onstage.

Was I In That One?

Last orders for Dianne. Now we are six!