Agatha Crusty & the Village Hall Murders

Written by Derek Webb

Directed by Mary Barron

Agatha Crusty (pronounced Croosty) is a crime novelist. She’s also pretty adept at solving crimes. And when her sister-in-law Alice invites her to spend a few days with her in the village of Chortelby, it’s not long before she gets caught up in a series of murders which seem directed at members of the All Saints Village Hall committee.

From Toby, the Vicar, and Eleanor, Chair of the committee, to Harry Knott the caretaker and identical twins Olivia and Oliver Truscott-Pratt, there are plenty of suspects. And with an investigating officer as incompetent as DI Twigg, there are plenty of laughs as the murders begin to pile up. But, while packed full of wit and very funny scenes, this is also a genuine murder mystery with an ingenious plot which will tax the little grey cells of the audience at the same time!

Cast

• Harry – the village hall caretaker, cynical, worldly-wise, down-to-earth (30s-60s)

• Twigg – a Detective Inspector of extraordinary incompetence (30s-50s)

• Agatha – a crime novelist, unassuming, but very smart (30s-60s)

• Alice – Agatha’s sister-in-law, pleasant, unpretentious (30s-60s)

• Olivia – an upper-crust, landed gentry type with less land than she’d like (30s-60s)

• Oliver – Olivia’s brother, who, except for the hair, looks the same (30s-60s) Olivia and Oliver are played by the same person

• Eleanor – chair of the hall committee, mother-superior type (30s-50s)

• Isabella – the pub landlady, mumsy type with definite pretensions (30s-60s)

• Maisie – a cleaner, pleasant but not afraid to call a spade a spade (30s-50s)

• Toby – The Vicar, – generally genial and a little naïve, but can be forceful (30s-50s)

• PC Lockett – the village bobby, cousin to Harry (can be played by the same actor as Harry but not necessarily) (30s- 60s)

• Mandy – a model, young, a streetwise girl (late teens-20s)