‘Murder Afoot’ at Thame Players theatre

THE UK Première of Murder Afoot!, opens at The Players Theatre, Thame, on Tuesday, March 1. The play, written by the Norwegian playwright Knut Nærum, is described as ‘a cleverly written, fast-moving, full-strength, murder mystery comedy with many twists and turns’.

This is the first time Knut’s play has been performed in the UK, having previously been performed only in Norway. There will be five performances of Murder Afoot! at The Players Theatre between Tuesday, March 1, to Saturday, March 5, inclusive.

Murder Afoot! Synopsis

Dark clouds are gathering over The Arches, the stately mansion of brash, larger-than-life shoe millionaire, Titus Platt. His peevish son Malcolm is hard up for money after living large and his ex-fiancée, the French night club singer Colette LaMarre, arrives bringing news that makes matters worse for him – she is with child, and the thought of having to tell his overbearing father fills him with dread.

Malcolm’s ditzy sister Penny is about to marry Thomas Tottering, the upstart vice president of Platt Shoes Ltd. Meanwhile Mr Platt’s personal secretary, Hedda Noble, and the stern housekeeper, Miss Grimlish, disagree about the future prospects of Livia, the maid, of whom Miss Grimlish is mysteriously protective.

When the notorious gentleman thief The Black Fox forcefully announces his intention to steal Platt’s precious golden Etruscan dagger, Platt calls the police. Livia spills the beans to the rest of the staff that The Black Fox is on his way. Mistakenly, but understandably, all fear for their lives and, except for Livia, resign immediately. The chauffeur leaves too, and is replaced, perhaps too swiftly, by the intrepid Dick Drake.

Soon Inspector Bullock arrives to thwart The Fox’s plans. During a thunderstorm in the night, Titus Platt is found murdered leaving a dying clue in the form of two chess pieces. The investigation comes to a head when a second Inspector Bullock turns up, bound and gagged, accusing the first of being a fraud. It appears that virtually everyone: Malcolm, Penny, Thomas, Livia, Miss Grimlish and even the new chauffeur, had a motive to kill Platt. False identities abound and, during the reading of Titus’ will, some rather murky secrets of the past are revealed. Before dawn, another murder is committed and The Etruscan dagger disappears twice.

About the Author

Knut Nærum is a Norwegian comedian, author, writer of comics and TV entertainer. He is best known as one of the permanent panellists in the Norwegian version of the BBC TV programme, Have I Got News for You. Knut has written several books and is also the creator of the satirical comic strip, Bloid. Knut lives in Oslo with his wife and two children.

About Thame Players

Thame Players Theatre Company runs the only dedicated theatre serving Thame and the southern Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire area. It has been a vibrant and successful amateur dramatics group for over 70 years. The company is a registered charity and the theatre is run entirely by volunteers, making a significant contribution to the cultural life of the local community.

Thame Players has a consistently good track record as a first-class venue for live performances, both amateur and professional. The varied programme ranges from serious theatre to comedy and pantomime, with five in-house productions a year as well as some 30 shows by visiting theatre groups, musical acts and celebrities. Thame Players also put on regular film screenings hosted by Thame Cinema for All. The Thame Food Festival, Thame Arts & Literature Festival and other local organisations also use the theatre as a venue.