A new play from the pen of Ballyfin playwright, Frances Harney is a fast-paced and witty ‘Whodunit’ called The CASE – and is on stage in Mountmellick this weekend.
Loosely based on the board game Cluedo this play fizzes with humour and surprise.
Set in the study of Clewman Castle in 1984, mystery looms large as Sir Hugh Clewman calls his family, friends and associates together to outline the contents of his latest and final will.
However, the assembled guests all become suspects when the maid discovers Sir Hugh’s body in the wine cellar.
A number of stories unfold at once as agendas are exposed and clues subtly dropped for the receptive audience ear.
The essential ingredient in a good ‘Whodunit’ is the creative use of motivation to imply guilt, and this Frances does with graceful skill planting a terrific energy bomb in the heart of the play.
She cleverly steers between local and global, exploring private lives made public and issues around inheritance, while the central message must surely be that the health of planet Earth rests with each individual in his own environment.
The CASE is Frances’s tenth full length community drama. She suggests that: “Comedy is a trapdoor to truth and so the lightness of character and voice is always underpinned by a serious foundation”.
With laughter she pushes daylight into the dark corners of the human heart.
The zippy, smart dialogue and diverse characters-over thirty of them- are second to none.
They are deftly pitched against each other by six of the world’s most famous detectives, and while comic anarchy ensues, the depths of shameful secrets are exposed and unconfessed weaknesses of the human condition are laid bare.
The high energy, relentless action promises to keep audiences spellbound with possibilities right until the final curtain.
Anyone who has attended one of her plays will know that when Frances states, “Guaranteed to make you laugh”, she means it and her production will not fall short of that promise.
She would like to thank her talented cast, backstage team, parish clergy and clubs for their commitment to the success of The CASE, adding a special thank you to her audience who has been so loyal, supportive and generous over the years.
The CASE will delight and engross young and old alike. Seats are great value at €10 each and can be booked online at Eventbrite. Performance dates are on Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29, in Mountmellick Arts Centre.
Note the starting time is 7.30pm.
Proceeds will be divided between the Ballyfin Development Association and the Ballyfin GAA with a contribution to the Cuisle Centre.
