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Audience
with Murder by
Roger Leach and Colin Wakefield
Audience with Murder was produced by
Double Honours Productions at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London, from
Tuesday 21st February to Saturday 11th March 2006.
The Play
An
intriguing and unusual thriller, multi-layered and full of unexpected
twists. A ‘Russian doll’ of a play, it moves from a seemingly innocous
domestic playreading, through a murder mystery in the classic style, to
a final terrifying and violent climax.
Cast
(2M,
2F):
The thriller comprises
three plays in one, requiring the following:
M mid-50s |
M mid 20s |
F mid 50s |
F mid 20s |
Set: A
living room
Time: The
present
AUDIENCE WITH MURDER
was first performed in August 2004 as part of the Edinburgh Festival,
produced by Theatre Maketa.
“This was the best
theatre we saw on the
fringe this year.” EDINBURGH YOUR VOICE
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“AUDIENCE
WITH MURDER is a chameleon of a thriller, packed to the gunwales with
guile, chutzpah and humour. Catch it if you can.”
AUDIENCE WITH MURDER
has also been translated into German (TÖDLICHE PROBE, translator
Raymund Stahl) and Dutch (EEN MOORDVERHAAL, translator Maja
Reinderman). The play has most recently been translated into Italian
(DELITTO IN PUBBLICO).
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Pippa
Duffy.
Photographer:
Robert Workman |


Production
Information
AUDIENCE
WITH MURDER by Roger Leach and Colin Wakefield
Tuesday
21st February to Saturday 11th March 2006.

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Jermyn Street Theatre
16b Jermyn
Street, London SW1
Directed
by Colin Wakefield
Designed
by Colin Mayes
Lighting
and Sound by Luci
Cast
Pippa
Duffy
Leda
Hodgson
Bryan
Pilkington
Dudley
Rogers
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Bryan Pilkington, Dudley
Rogers, Leda Hodgson & Pippa
Duffy.
Photographer:
Robert Workman |
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Company Stage
Manager Peter Adshead
Production Associate Barbara Kirby
Press
Guy Chapman Associates

Production
Photography Robert Workman
020 7385 5442
Leaflet
and Poster Design Robin Kirwan
07971 709229
Programmes
and Print Management
Melanie Jones
Associates 020 8290 4999
For the Jermyn Street Theatre:
Administrator Penny
Horner 020 7434 1443
Technical Manager Phil S. Hunter
Produced
by Double Honours Productions
in association with Theatre Maketa. |
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Leda
Hodgson & Bryan
Pilkington.
Photographer:
Robert
Workman |
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Biographies
PIPPA
DUFFY
'Kelly'

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Pippa studied Drama
at Bristol University after which she gained a Dip.RAM in Musical
Theatre from the Royal Academy of Music. Theatre includes: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
(UK Tour), WEST END GIRLS
(Jersey Opera House), ASSASSINS
and COMPANY (Eyebrow at
Edinburgh Fringe), FANNY (Sadlers
Wells), LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST (Landor Theatre), BELIEVE AS YOU LIST
(Wickham Theatre, Bristol), Dorothy in
THE WIZ (Royal Academy of Music) and PUSS IN BOOTS (Winchester Theatre
Royal). Pippa has just finished playing the Princess in ALADDIN
at the Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple. |
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LEDA
HODGSON
'Sue'

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Leda trained at
LAMDA. Most recent theatre: Sophie in TALKING,
TALKING HEADS (Dir: Nick Kidd) in the Theatre Truck, at Trinity
Theatre Tunbridge Wells, and at Sevenoaks Theatre, Philippa in ABOUT COLIN (Dir: Michael Elliott)
at Trinity Theatre, Sue in AUDIENCE
WITH MURDER (Dir: Hank Turnbull) at Edinburgh Festival 2004 and
Sarah in THE NORMAN CONQUESTS
(Dir: Jonathan Church) at Birmingham Rep. Other theatre: for Theatre
Maketa Leda played Bet with Martin Barrass as Al in APRIL IN PARIS (Dir: Iain Rogerson)
in Bahrain and at the Mayfair Theatre, London, and Susan in BED AMONG THE LENTILS (Dir: Eric
Dupin) in Bahrain. She has worked in rep. in Exeter, Chester,
Liverpool, Oldham, Cheltenham, Harrogate, Birmingham and Worcester –
favourite production: MAN OF THE
MOMENT (Dir: Peter Fieldson), in which she played Trudy Parkes.
Other work includes: THE TERRIBLE
VOICE OF SATAN (Dir: James MacDonald), WORKERS WRITES
(Dir: Dawn Walton) and BACKPAY
(Dir: Mary Peate) at the Royal Court. For Cheek by Jowl she played Miss
Flute in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and
Bellinda in THE MAN OF MODE
(both directed by Declan Donnellan). For Hull Truck – SHAKERS and CUT AND DRIED (Dir: Danny Hiller),
and a season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. TV: HAMISH MACBETH, PERFECT WORLD, INSPECTOR
LINLEY INVESTIGATES, BADDIEL’S SYNDROME and FAMILY AFFAIRS. Radio: LONG TIME MAN. |
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BRYAN
PILKINGTON
'Dean' and 'McTavish'

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Originally from
Derbyshire, Bryan studied medicine in Edinburgh before training at the
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Theatre roles include: Ensemble and u/s
Anthony, Tobias and Beadle – SWEENEY
TODD (New Ambassadors), Vince Starshine and Cheeky the Chicken –
SCALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
(SOOP), Mirabel – THE WAY OF THE
WORLD (Tyger’s Heart), Sir Toby Belch – TWELFTH NIGHT (Logos), Prince
Kazbeki/Lavrenti etc – THE CAUCASIAN
CHALK CIRCLE (Watford Palace Theatre), Primrose/King Dashing – CINDERELLA (Forest Forge), Joe
Zelli – FIFTY MILLION FRENCHMEN (Linbury
Studio, ROH), Prince Bulbo – THE
ROSE AND THE RING (Globe Players), Buckingham – RICHARD THE THIRD (Bristol New
Vic) and Alan de Wolf – THE CAMP
(Bristol New Vic). He has also appeared in cabaret, including THE KIDS FROM SHAME and SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM. TV: Peter
– ANYBODY’S NIGHTMARE
(Carlton) |
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DUDLEY
ROGERS
'Alan'

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Dudley trained on a
scholarship at the Guildhall School, where he won the Characterisation
Prize, and since then has, happily, had a varied career in all branches
of showbusiness. He has appeared in four West End musicals, including
the original production of FIDDLER
ON THE ROOF and JOSEPH AND
THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT, and many more musicals
besides – BLOOD BROTHERS, OLIVER!
(Fagin) and GODSPELL being
particular favourites. His repertory work includes seasons at Chester,
Colchester, Crewe and Milford Haven, playing a wide range of parts such
as Canon Throbbing in HABEAS CORPUS
and Eric Younglove in PRIVATES ON
PARADE. He played Dr. Wheedon in the national tour of BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT, joined MRS. WATSON’S MUSIC HALL at the
Watermill Theatre, Newbury, and went on to play Mr. Allworthy in TOM JONES. He has also sailed round
the world three times as a member of the Stadium Theatre Company on
board S.S.Canberra and has many TV and film appearances to his credit.
Dudley is still remembered as the job interviewer from hell in the
Bacardi Breezer commercial. He has known and worked with Colin
Wakefield for many years, most notably as Dame in three of his
pantomimes. |


Reviews
"It
is no accident that the Jermyn Street playbill for this comedy thriller
is free of all descriptive matter, save for a photograph of the
playscript. The producers are quite right. To offer more could spoil
the surprise that, with a string of startling denouements, utterly
confounds audience expectations.
In
the end I lost count. But there seems no harm in revealing that the
opening scene is set in the sitting room of a comfortable house in
Datchet where four members of an amateur theatre group have settled
down to read a new thriller, specially concocted by one of their number
to insult her wayward husband.
One
could also add that by the end of the first act, two of the party have
gone to meet their maker, thanks to a bit of a mix-up with the drinks.
Of course there is no intention of reducing the cast to two half-way
through the evening but this many layered entertainment, complete with
poison, gunshots and bloodshed, has wicked ways of bringing the dead
back to life that will amuse and baffle with their unexpected impudence.
But
for Jermyn Street aficionados who also saw last month’s musical based
on the life of Gutenberg, there is an eerie familiarity about the
closing moments as the whole bag of tricks is finally packed into a
jolly payoff from the back row of this tiny theatre. But that would be
telling."
JOHN THAXTER THE STAGE
Thursday 23
February 2006 |

Leda Hodgson.
Photographer:
Robert Workman
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Exquisitely plotted... An evening of taut and suspenseful
entertainment, shot through with the kind of dark humour that helps to
ramp up the tension."
ILFORD
RECORDER
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Other Information
Audience
with Murder was published in March 2006 by Samuel French, to whom all
enquiries concerning professional and amateur rights should be
addressed: 020 7387 9373
www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk
German: TÖDLICHE PROBE
(translated by Raymund Stahl).
Rights handled by
Pegler Verlag, Maximilianstrasse 21, 80539 München (or contact
Colin Wakefield colwake@btinternet.com)
Dutch: EEN MOORDVERHAAL
(translated by Maja Reinderman).
Published by
Toneeluitgeverij VINK B.V., Postbus 36 – 1800 AA ALKMAAR, The
Netherlands (or contact Colin Wakefield colwake@btinternet.com)
Italian: DELITTO
IN PUBBLICO.
Contact: Colin Wakefield colwake@btinternet.com.
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Dudley Rogers.
Photographer:
Robert Workman |
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