The hillarious comic whodunit Secondary Cause Of Death starring Jeffrey Holland (Hi-de-Hi), Judy Buxton (On The Up) and David Callister (The Bill) comes to the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne from Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th March.
Colonel Charles Craddock has converted his property into a hotel for the discerning visitor and Miss Cynthia Maple has arranged a murder mystery for the evening’s entertainment. Inspector Pratt then arrives at Bagshot House with grim news for the Colonel, but that’s just the beginning. Who is the strange Polish Count? Is Henrietta really an army Captain? How does the eccentric thespian, Longfellow fit in to the equation? These are just some of the characters who make Pratt’s return a chaotic nightmare as the bodies pile higher and higher.
Referred to as the antithesis of the intuitive Sherlock, the very opposite of master sleuths such as Miss Marple and Poirot, Pratt is an hilarious bumbling Inspector who more stumbles upon the truth unexpectedly rather than methodically solving clues. Pratt has no inkling to the very end who is responsible for the gruesome murders at Bagshot House and though as more bodies drop around him the mystery is entertainingly solved it is much due to the assistance of British playwright Peter Gordon’s other strong comic characters, especially Lilly Tuthill.
An Agatha Christie spoof type whodunit with exploding teapots, falling flowerpots, false identities and more twists than seem plausibly possible this play is bound to amuse even the stalwart traditional murder mystery audience, appealing to farce fans and comedy drama enthusiasts too.
Join the hapless Inspector Pratt in Secondary Cause of Death, the second in the Inspector Pratt trilogy, at the Devonshire Park Theatre from Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th March. Tickets priced from £15.50 – £21.50 can be purchased online at www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01323 412000.