The Murder at Shakerley House

The Plot

Our 2018 production of Trial By Jury was a one act version of Murder at Shakerley house and even shorter version of which won the World Coarse Acting Championships in Ealing November 2017.


 The award-winning Milborne Port Opera made a temporary swerve into comedy. The company was invited to London to perform in the World Coarse Acting Championships at the Questors Theatre, Ealing on November 25th 2017, where competed with other professional and amateur companies for the coveted world title. The chief Judge is Timothy West CBE, no less.

The MPO's challenge was to write and produce a spoof 15-minute "Coarse Operetta" in which everything which can, does, go wrong. MPO's Neil Edwards has distilled his show "The Murder at Shakerley House" into the world's first bite-sized drawing room whodunnit operetta.

The show is directed by Richard Gaunt, who inspired, and was in the play which won the first World Coarse Acting Championship in 1972. Musical director is Caroline D'Cruz.
There were 15 members of MPO in the cast. For the purposes of the competition, and to avoid reputation damage, they have re-named themselves CLODS – St Crispin's Light Operatic and Dramatic Society. Said Richard Gaunt "St Crispin was the patron saint of cobblers. The audience has been warned."

The competition has been mounted to celebrate the 90th year of author Michael Green, whose hilarious book "The Art of Coarse Acting" (still in print after 52 years) inspired the genre.

"The Art of Coarse Acting" inspired three successful Edinburgh Fringe shows, tv spin-offs by Morecambe and Wise and the Two Ronnies and of course "Acorn Antiques". Lately, "The play that goes wrong" has been enjoying enormous success in theatres around England, including a successful run at Salisbury.


 

Jim Pitt, heir to the Cecil Pitt pie and pastty empire, along with his friend Chuffy Harris, are amongst the many guests at the Annual Shakerley Summer Ball, held at Shakerley House, a newly rebuilt country residence in grounds adjacent to the estate of the Earl o Westhoughton.

Across a crowded room, Jim falls in love at first sight with a girl and he sets of in pursuit of her, leaving Chuffy to find his own amusement. Jim is delighted to find out that the object of his affection, Elspeth Shakerley is equally enamoured of him, so much so that she would like to be wed at once, with the proviso that her mother should be in attendance.

However, Winifred Shakerley, her mother, will never set foor in the same county as Sir Hilary Shakerley whilst there is still breath in his body and his feelings toward her are equally vehement in that regard.

Amongst the other guests at the party are Colonel Harry Hagfold, his nephew Walter Atherton and his ward Lucinda Bedford. Both the Colonel and Walter are in dire financial circumstances, but the Colonel has a plan to marry Walter off to a right heiress, preferably with a rich aunt, whom the Colonel could manipulate for his own purposes.

The Colonel's state has been brought about by his numerous romantic liaisons and as a result, being blackmailed by music-hall entertainer Daisy Hill with assistance from her entourage Ellen Brook and Prudence Chaddock. They are eager to see the Colonel come into money in order that they can extort greater sums from him.

The Colonel proposes that a fatal accident befall Sir Hilary, leaving Audrey Shakerley and Dierdre Shakerley, who are soon eating out of the COlonel's hand, in charge of their niece such that Walter and Elspeth would be wed.

Meanwhile, Elspeth hatches a plan that her fater should pretent to be dead in order to draw her mother into the vicinity for the wedding. Aided and abetted by close friend of Sir Hilary, Doctor Goode, stalwart family retainer, Ernest Pennington the bulter and the house keeper Mrs Pownall, Jim and Elspeth conspire with Sir Hilary to fake his own death. He is initially reluctant, but finally relents.

Having convinced the guests of his demise, all seems to be going well, until Elspeth is thrust unwittingly into the welcome arms of Walter, who is only too happy to comfprt the grieving daughter. The Colonel sees to it that her true love, Jim, is kept at bay to give his nephew some time to work his charms on the heiress.

In the early hours of the following morning, after a frightful journey Winifred Shakerley arrives to ensure the safety of her daughter and moreover to make sure that her estranged partner is actually dead. Close on her heels are Inpector marsland Green and the local policeman, Sargent Davis, who have been sent to investigate, however the Inspector's vision is clouded by his infatuation with Daisy Hill and thus with Lucinda's love for Walter, Elspeth's determination to marry Jim, the Colonel and Walter pursuing their financial redemption, the blackmailers in pursuit of the Colonel, Winifred's and Sir Hilary mutual enmity and the reluctancec of Sir Hilary to remain dead, confusion reigns supreme.

The Cast

Solo Parts Description 2010 2017 2018
Sir Hilary Shakerley Chris BailwardChris BailwardChris Bailward
Winifred Shakerley Sarah BignellAlison RuddySarah Bignell
Elspeth Shakerley Jessie Copper
Audrey Shakerley Candice Marcus
Dierdree Shakerley Linda Mumford
James Pitt Anthony WhiteOscar ShaveAnthony White
Chuffy Harris Steve Love
Doctor Phillip Goode Nick PresdeeAnthony WhiteTrevor John
Colonel Harry Hagfold Richard GauntRichard GauntRichard Gaunt
Walter Atherton Lloyd DaviesOscar Shave
Lucinda Bedford Sarah Fraser
Daisy Hill Katherine Davies
Ellen Brook Kimberley White
Prudence Chaddock Ruth Shipley
Ernest Pennington Geoff AllanPeter MumfordPeter Mumford
Marjorie Pownall Lisa Franks
Inspector Marsland Green Matthew BakerMatt BakerAndrew Armstrong
Sargent Davis Trevor JohnNeil Harrison-ShawNeil Harrison
Daisy Pownall chambermaid Neil EdwardsAlison Ruddy
Lavina Shakerly lady Gemma KiddleGemma Kiddle
Adelaide Shakerly lady Sukie ReadSukie Read
Fanny Shakerly lady Jessie StonesJessie Stones
Rev Nigel Makepeace vicar Neil Harrison-ShawNeil Harrison-Shaw

Photos

Photos 2010

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CLODS-2017 2017

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Photos 2018 2018

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