Super Slaughterhouse by Rubery Drama Group keeps audience guessing until the end - The Bromsgrove Standard

Super Slaughterhouse by Rubery Drama Group keeps audience guessing until the end

Bromsgrove Editorial 28th Apr, 2017 Updated: 28th Apr, 2017   0

SLAUGHTERHOUSE was a classic murder mystery staged by Rubery Drama Group which had the audience guessing right up to the final lines.

With ten characters, predominantly theatricals, assembled at the stately home of an ageing horror film star to read a new script, the scene was set.

Throw into the mix a thick fog, a pack of Doberman and a moat full of piranhas trapping the ten characters in the property and you have an enjoyable comedy thriller.

Because most of the actors have trod the boards together on numerous occasions, the chemistry between the characters was perfect – they genuinely looked on stage like they were old friends meeting up again.




Because of this it was difficult to pick out individuals.

Bob Sawyer as host Romney Marsh dominated the first half, brilliantly portraying the ageing star’s arrogant, self-opinionated and controlling nature.


He delivered plenty of sharp one-liners with superb timing.

Sean Sawyer also impressed as camp thespian Brad and was clearly an audience favourite with his over-reaction to most of the situations he was placed in.

Roy Watton and Paul Harris put in sound performances as Douglas and Freddie, particularly when they were together on stage.

And it was a good Rubery Drama Group debut from Helen Bourke as exhuberent fashion designer Stella.

The second half of the play was when it came into its own as the various characters had one-to-ones with each other to moot their different theories surrounding the murders.

As more and more characters became self-appointed super-sleuths, so did those watching and you could hear whispers from the audience about who they thought had ‘done it’.

This got more and more complicated and bizarre and as the theories were bandied around, it was a credit to the actors and director Carl Timms that those on stage kept up with the plot and kept delivering it.

And, as with all good murder mysteries, all was resolved at the end and the audience (who usually guess wrong) went home happy knowing the culprit had got their comeuppance.

The only criticism of this production was it was maybe a tad too long but that did not detract from what was a very enjoyable evening.

The remaining performances take place at the Beacon Church Centre at 7.30pm Friday and Saturday (April 28 and 29).

Tickets at £7 (£6 concessions) are available from [email protected] or by calling 0121 453 8733 or 0121 445 2323.

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