Murder at the Theatre is a comedy thriller and sequel to Murder in the Village Hall was staged in January 2017. Written and directed by local author and playwright Emma Bevan, it is Titchfield Festival Theatre’s first play of 2020, providing a return to the stage for Inspector Ambrose. 

The scene: it’s winter and outside it is bitterly cold. A theatre is snow bound, but inside the actors and crew are busy working and preparing for the next production. But wait…. a murderer strikes and is on the loose… and the group of actors, an annoyed director and a frustrated playwright are all suspects. 

Emma explains the inspiration behind the play. “Murder in the Village Hall was so well received in January and I really enjoyed directing it. I thought a theatre setting would be ideal for the next play; after all, there is something spooky behind the scenes at a theatre when only the actors and crew are there, offering plenty of opportunities for murder with the various props and equipment. 

“It is fair to say that Inspector Ambrose is not necessarily the canniest of detectives – colleagues refer to her as ‘nice but dim Kim’ – although what she is good at is taking advantage of others and for taking credit. This all makes for a great setting and lots of entertainment on a winter’s evening at our beautiful theatre.”

Murder at the Theatre is a good, fun comedy thriller with a little bit of adult humour; however, it is more pantomime than X-rated, so it can be enjoyed by a mix of ages. 

Murder at The Theatre opens on Wednesday 8th January until Saturday 18th January 2020 at 7.30pm in the Oak Theatre, Titchfield Festival Theatre, St Margarets Lane, Titchfield PO14 4BG. Matinee performance Sunday 12th January 2020 at 2.30pm. 

For more information, please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/or contact our Box Office on 01329 556156. 317 Words

Notes for the Editor

Titchfield Festival Theatre is one of the UK’s largest amateur theatre groups, with three venues situated along the south coast of Hampshire. 

The main theatre The Oak - (seating 200 people) and a new studio theatre - The Acorn (seating 100 people) are both located in St Margarets Lane, Titchfield. The theatre company also owns the historic Great Barn, reputed to be the third largest medieval barn in Europe. The Great Barn hosts an annual Shakespearean festival and is available for events. The barn also has its own theatre which seats 175.

Titchfield Festival Theatre will produce some 30 shows in 2019 with a varied programme of productions to suit all tastes, including the New Play Season which runs between January – March 2019. Details of the forthcoming productions are on the website below.

The site at St Margarets Lane has recently undergone extensive renovations including a refurbished bar, new seating and other facilities, as well as uniquely becoming the only ‘green’ fully sustainable theatre in Europe. The Oak Theatre is also home to a historic 1930’s theatre organ, which has performed at recent productions including Spamalot. 

Tickets for upcoming shows can be booked online via the website http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/or please contact our Box Office on 01329 556156. For more information or to request complimentary tickets for press reviews please contact Simon Frost at LCM, simon@lcm.co.uk or 01489 891870.