A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE
Death by Design: A Comedy with Songs and Murder
Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 4m
Book by Rob Urbinati
Music and Lyrics by Peter Mills
This hilarious, delightful play with music combines the brilliant wit of Noël Coward with the intrigue and plotting of Agatha Christie, as a motley assortment of guests descend upon the country home of a married playwright and actress.
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Cast Size
4w, 4m -
Duration
120 minutes (2 hours) -
Subgenre
Farce, Adaptation (Literature), Mystery/Thriller -
Suggested Use
- Cutting Approved for Competition
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Target Audience
Appropriate for All Audiences, Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Details
Summary
What happens when you mix the brilliant wit of Noël Coward with the intricate plotting of Agatha Christie? Set during a weekend in an English country manor in 1932, Death by Design is a hilarious, delightful and mysterious mash-up of two of the greatest English writers of all time. Edward Bennett, a playwright, and his wife Sorel Bennett, an actress, flee London and head to Cookham after a disastrous opening night. But various guests arrive unexpectedly – a conservative politician, a fiery socialist, a nearsighted ingenue, a zany modern dancer – each with a long-held secret. When one of the guests is murdered, it’s left to Bridgit, the feisty Irish maid with a macabre interest in homicide, to solve the crime. This musical version of Rob Urbinati's Death by Design is more than homage – it’s a new classic, with a terrific musical theatre score that kills!
“Rob Urbinati’s idea of melding Noël Coward and Agatha Christie into something new, something more, is so brilliant it’s amazing nobody thought of it before Death by Design: A Comedy with Songs and Murder. Snappy, urbane dialogue, delightful archetypes and a dash of slapstick blend into some kind of stylized, comedic wonder. Two clever tunes by Peter Mills add that perfect Coward touch to a highly entertaining evening.” – Omaha World HeraldHistory
- Time Period 1930s
- Setting The living room of the Bennett’s house at Cookham. 1932.
- Features Period Costumes
- Additional Features Play with Music
- Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
- Cautions
- Gun Shots
Media
“Snappy, urbane dialogue, delightful archetypes and a dash of slapstick blend into some kind of stylized, comedic wonder.” – Omaha World Herald
“Playwright Rob Urbinati must have had as much fun writing this comedy as the audience has in savoring it.” – Houston Press, Read More
“Rob Urbinati’s idea of melding Noël Coward and Agatha
Christie into something new, something more, is so brilliant it’s
amazing nobody thought of it before Death by Design: A Comedy with Songs and Murder. Snappy, urbane dialogue, delightful archetypes and a dash
of slapstick blend into some kind of stylized, comedic wonder. Two
clever tunes by Peter Mills add that perfect Coward touch to a highly
entertaining evening.” – Omaha World Herald
Music
Licensing & Materials
- Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
Music Rentals
Scripts
Available Formats:
Authors
Rob Urbinati
Rob was born in Framingham, Massachusetts and currently resides in New York City. He received a BA from ...