Take a character called Livia, a romantic storywriter, and her husband Stan. Then a women called Patsy and her husband Ashley, who have won a competition. Finally, take the rather excitable characters Vi and Dorothy. When all of the above characters go to a country-house retreat for an exciting weekend of murder mystery, this is Bettine Manktelow's play, performed by the Wellington Civic Players at the Wellington Arts Centre. The script, a comedy thriller, was certainly enjoyable for the audience, providing a great night out and a welcome retreat from the World Cup fever of England v Trinidad and Tobago that night! A wealth of talentOverall, the cast were well-picked. Most were chosen from the Wellington area, which demonstrates the wealth of talent in the small town.  | | Livia, Wallace and Ashley in Murder Weekend |
Some particular favourite performances included Sue Kerry as Livia. Sue had an incredible amount of lines to learn, which were delivered with clarity and pace throughout the production. Sue was also suitably scared when stalker Wallace Wainright (played well by Des Atkinson) talked to her. Sue should also be congratulated on being producer for the production. Then there were the characters of Violet Jenkins, played by Susan 'Swannie' Swan, and Dorothy Padmore, played by Mary Lewis. As soon as this couple came on stage, the audience erupted into laughter because of the eccentric fascination of the characters' love of murder mysteries. Swannie, in particular, did a sterling job as the very manly Violet, and produced some of the best laughs of the evening. These characters' use of facial expressions meant that even before they had said anything, the audience were already laughing. The reaction between these two characters meant that the actors could bounce off each other well, showing once again the characters' fascination with all things to do with murder. I mustn't forget the young Richard Morgan, in the role of Ashley Macavoy. Richard demonstrated some fine acting, playing a character 20 years older than he actually is. Richard also showed some fine characterisation, with the posture of his character and the variation of his voice meaning that interest was kept throughout by the audience. An enjoyable productionDirection by Helen Tidmarsh was sound throughout, and especially in such constraints as the small stage of the Arts Centre. It was clear that the actors were well-rehearsed, and the use of the space on the stage was well-used.  | | Patsy, Stanley and Shelly in Murder Weekend |
At times, all of the characters were on stage together. With such a small stage, it was impressive to see that none of the characters masked one another. Congratulations for avoiding this problem. The set for the production consisted primarily of a box set, designed effectively by Geoff Redstone. This was clearly well-constructed. A test of any set of this nature would be if one of the doors moved as it was shut. It certainly didn't! The costumes, designed by Penny Bradnum, were simple yet effective. The colours and styles of coats in the production were reflective of the time period (modern). It was also clear that pieces had been selected that would be reflective of each characters' personality - eg a skirt for the eccentric Dorothy Padmore. Lighting and sound were both perfectly on cue. It was also good to see that the speakers were very well-hidden, and so did not distract away from the setting/situation on stage. A nice added touch. Wellington Civic Players certainly produced an enjoyable production for the people of the town, and should be congratulated on working well with such a small stage. Well done. | 
