Yet again Thorpe Players deliver a first class performance. “Silhouette”, a thriller by Simon Brett, interspersed with a touch of comedy. Martin Powell (Mike button), a well known actor, has been shot dead and Detective Inspector Bruton (Alex Clarry) must find the killer.

In this back to front thriller, Act One shows Bruton and his team conducting their investigation. Did Celia Wallis (Jan Carter), Martin’s estranged wife murder her husband? What about Neville Smallwood (Simon Taylor), a radio journalist obsessed with Celia and seemingly prepared to do anything for her? And who is the mysterious stranger whose silhouette appeared at the door?

Act Two portrays events prior to the murder. Only in the last minute do we find out who the murderer is.

I thoroughly enjoyed a return visit to one of Thorpe Players’ performances. The play opens and I hear a voice in front of me saying “I can see a body.” We see the murdered body of Martin Powell slumped in his office chair and a blood spattered wall, lighting effects and music.

Now DI Bruton attends the scene and he starts to work out who has committed the crime. His team with stab vests and black notebooks take note while a team in white forensic uniforms (Glyn Bailey, Helen Edwards, Maggie Edwards and Chrissie Sadler) are busy at work. Many quips keep the audience giggling, “married only once, first time I found my husband murdered”, ”when it comes to men I shop at Harrods”, “you would look lovely to me even if you were dead”. They even managed to get a reference back to their February performance of Annie Get Your Gun.

During the interval you can hear discussions in the audience as to who could have carried out the murder, while the support crew do a “redecoration” of the set by cleaning that blood spattered wall.

Now was the murderer the knicker nicker oddball Neville Smallwood from the local radio station? Those who attended the performance will know the answer. But, we go away asking whatever happened to the cassette recording, or did the radio broadcast the feature on Morris dancing?

The support team made a great transformation from Thorpe Village Hall to a Sussex country home, refreshments and enjoyable atmosphere to this first class performance. Thanks and see you in Oct (4^th – 6^th). Book now, I will. JAC