Two For Tea by Edgar Harrison

Northern Theatre Studio2
Dec 3-5 1999

Two spoof whodunnits concerning the misadventures of tea-drinking amateur sleuth Lily Punnet, her public school sidekick Rhiannon and the incompetent Inspector Hardy.

The Unfortunate Cup Of Tea

Lily

Sharon Burton

Rhiannon

Natalie Marcus-McBride

Rachel Dovercourt

Helen Robinson

Inspector Hardy

Simon Kibblewhite

Montague Montcalm

Andy Hodgson

Baron X

Matti Kiviniemi

El Hombre

Dermot Rathbone

Mrs Ocelot

Jenny Stewart

Lady Margaret Montcalm

Val Howell

One For The Pot

Rhiannon

Natalie Marcus-McBride

Lily

Sharon Burton

Smiling Jack Cummerbund

David Burton

The Lovely Lena

Mandy Green

Signor Tetera

Matti Kiviniemi

Inspector Hardy

Simon Kibblewhite

Dingy Ron Trumpet

Andy Hodgson

Lucky Heather

Val Howell

Isabel Charming

Helen Robinson

Directed by Jenny Stewart

Who can resist this line up?
Baron X and El Hombre put the screws on Montague
I Don't Understand The Plot

First up was 'The Unfortunate Cup Of Tea' with murder and mayhem at Montcalm Manor as Lily is ensnared in the evil machinations of oily foreign nobleman Baron Xímeca de Chá and his attempts to destroy the great British Cuppa and plunge the Empire into chaos. In 'One For The Pot' Lily’s night at the theatre is ruined as flamboyant tea-swilling magician Signor Tetera is murdered on stage. Can Inspector Hardy expose the vaudevillian villain before the tea goes cold?

Shouldn't It Smell Of Beef?

As the Lonsdale Community Centre was closed for building work we rehearsed this production in a disused butchers shop just round the corner which was freezing cold and smelled of fish.

Director's Commentary

My first (and last) attempt at directing - harder than it looks; in difficult circumstances, i.e. an empty butcher's shop. Wonderful cast, when they turned up, but not always all at the same rehearsal! Jenny

Simon Kibblewhite IS Inspector Hardy
I Can't Believe It's Not Samuel French

One audience member couldn't get their head round the fact that this was written by a member of the group as it was "too good". Now is that a compliment, or what?!

The Lovely Lena comes out of hiding
Author! Author!

An author always has mixed feelings watching the first production of his work. First there's pride that the players thought this was good enough to put on in the first place, and then there's the nail-biting terror of waiting for the audience reaction. Very positive with laughs in most of the right places - to my great relief (not to mention surprise). 
Simon Kibblewhite was magnificent. I'd never envisaged Inspector Hardy as an ultra-seedy combination of Columbo and Rigsby but now I can't think of him any other way! Edgar

Was I In That One?

New arrivals in the shape of Dermot, Simon and Matti. Matti hailed from Finland and made his Chameleon debut as an English speaking Spanish nobleman. Now there's versatility for you. Simon was a real comic discovery so it was a shame he only did two more plays with us.

We Don’t Want To Peak Too Early

On the final dress rehearsal of 'One For The Pot', we missed out two whole pages of dialogue including the vital clue that forces the murderer to confess, making the plot even more convoluted than it already was! We almost did the same thing on the Sunday night as well.

Quote, Unquote

"Oh no", the hardest part I've ever done! Andy
Simon's performance was... er... unique Ray
Inspector Hardy - what more can I say Mandy
Simon as Inspector Hardy – what else can I say! The trench coat has never recovered. Brilliant debut from Edgar Harrison Sharon
I haven't laughed at the theatre so much for ages Joanne