A Murder is Announced at the New Theatre Cardiff Review
Agatha Christie’s
A Murder is Announced
New Theatre, Cardiff
13-17 October 2015
Reviewed by Yvette Morgan
I attended the New Theatre in Cardiff with my daughter on Tuesday 13th October to watch Agatha Christies, A Murder is Announced. The New Theatre is located in the centre of Cardiff, close to transportation, parking in the evening is easy, even for the matinee parking shouldn’t be too problematic as there are several multi-storey car parks within a 2 minute walk. As always the staff were friendly and helpful with a delightful ambiance in the theatre as we purchased our pre-show drinks and snacks and were guided to our excellent seats, with a fantastic view.
The play starts with a strange notice appearing in the morning paper of a perfectly ordinary small English village, Chipping Cleghorn. The residents are shocked to read an advert stating a murder will take place at the home of Letitia Blacklock in Little Paddocks, this coming Friday at 6.30pm.
At 6.30pm on Friday a group of intrigued residents who are unable to resist the temptation, decide to gather at the house, the lights go out and a shot is fired, paving way for the intrepid Miss Marple (Judy Cornwell), to appear and unravel a complex series of events and relationships, in an attempt to solve the mystery and name the killer. I had a change of heart several times through the play as to the identity of the killer.
I thoroughly enjoyed the good old-fashioned, English-drawing-room drama that had super sleuths amongst the audience trying to fathom who the killer among the suspects was. Lady of the house Letitia (Diane Fletcher) is the absolute gem, her decades of acting is clearly visible, and I totally adored her dippy housemate Bunny who reminded me of an old aunt of mine many years ago, then there’s Mitzi the maid is so fabulous with her over-the-top the heavy Hungarian accent, and difficulty to sort out fantasy and truth, she gets a laughs every time she comes into view.
The set had huge attention to detail, the music in the beginning made me believe I was getting a snippet of life in a sleepy village, then the opulence of the drawing room reflected the era in which the drama was set. The whole cast pulled together and gave a first class performance, regardless of the size of their role, showing real team work. This was the first Agatha Christie I have seen on stage and has certainly given me a taste for murder mysteries, an enjoyable evening, highly recommended.
Running Time: 1hr 50min
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £15 to £27 (booking fees may apply).
Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced is at the New Theatre in Cardiff until 17 November 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 029 2087 8889.
New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3LN | 029 2087 8889
