Murder Assured - St Ann's Players

Earlier this month, St Ann’s Players presented the thriller ‘Murder Assured’, at St Ann's Parish Hall on Brocklebank Road.

Director Judith Mansfield gathered together a strong cast for this thrilling production.

The plot revolves around Stephen Ryder, a previously successful writer who, when he hits bad times, decides to auction a £500,000 insurance policy. This presents his wife, Sheila, with the opportunity to cash in by plotting Stephen’s death, with friend of the family Gordon Crawford.

Peter Dignan took on the challenging leading role and gave the character the presence it required. Sue Howarth played his devious wife, who together with Tim Keily in the role of Gordon, helped plot her husband’s downfall.

Most thrillers have twists and turns and Tony Clayton’s script did not disappoint. We were sometimes left wondering who was trying to kill who?

Joanne Frost proved to be an excellent foil, as Christine Peters the writer’s secretary. Andy McKay also put in a strong performance as Harry Manley, the former boyfriend of the writer’s wife, roped in to kill Stephen.

There is always a clever copper to sort it all out in the end and Dave Stopford played DS Jack Benson with conviction.

The actors, as always at St Ann's, had an excellent set to perform on and the audience were on the edge of their seats for most of the evening and jumped out of them when the revolver went off.

The two act play held the audience's attention throughout.