A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Party to Murder

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  3w, 3m

Marcia Kash, Douglas E. Hughes

On Halloween, six people have come in secret to play a murder mystery game at a rustic island cottage. Secret passageways, incriminating letters, hidden compartments, bodies in the window seat and a 25-year-old unsolved mystery twist and turn toward the unexpected and terrifying conclusion.

A Party to Murder

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

On Halloween, six people have come in secret to play a murder mystery game at a rustic island cottage. Invited by writer Charles Prince, they appear set for a weekend of fun, until ghosts from the past begin to haunt the proceedings, and it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. The game takes on a sinister dimension when guests begin to die, and the remaining players realize that they are playing for their lives. Tension rises. Secret passageways, incriminating letters, hidden compartments, bodies in the window seat and a 25-year-old unsolved mystery twist and turn toward the unexpected and terrifying conclusion.

History
A Party to Murder was first produced at Kawartha Summer Theatre in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada in August 1996. It was subsequently produced at the Ensemble Theatre in Cincinnati in September 1996.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

KONRAD/CHARLES – A successful mystery novelist; English, 40s to 50s; urbane, intelligent, well bred; the ultimate host
ERNIE/WILLY – A former football player; big, friendly, gregarious, good sense of humour; around 40
EVELYN/MCKENZIE – A fashion model, late 20s; witty, extroverted, with a tough exterior; Elwood’s girlfriend
MRS. MCKNIGHT/VALERIE – Early to mid-40s; Henri’s older sister; smart, savvy, used to getting her own way; very well turned out
O’KARMA/HENRI (pronounced "Henry") – Late 20s, Valerie’s younger sister; shy, easily intimidated, dresses conservatively
FATHER GERRY MERRYWEATHER/ELWOOD – Mid-50s, corporate CEO type; confident, friendly, powerful, and he knows it

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting A cottage on an island, in the middle of a lake, somewhere in North America. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Stage Combat, Special Effects
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Gun Shots

Media

“Cheeky and skillfully crafted mayhem.” – London Free Press

“Enough to turn Dame Agatha green with envy.” – The Oxford Press

“Rather stunning.” – The Cincinnati Post

“Brilliant, even better than Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.” – The Saskatoon Free Press

“Thrills, Christie fashion... A superb climax.” – The Kentucky Recorder

“Christie meets Deathtrap [with] a lot of style.” – The Cincinnati Enquirer

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Marcia Kash

Marcia Kash
Marcia Kash has 11 shows to her credit, including For This Moment Alone, Discovering Elvis and five plays with longtime collaborator Douglas E. Hughes. Their first play, Who’s Under Where?, has been translated into six languages and is currently enjoying its first Polish lang ...
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Douglas E. Hughes

Douglas E. Hughes

As well as the five plays he’s written with his cohort Marcia Kash, Douglas E. Hughes has written two short plays for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Debussy: At Sea and The Talking Cure; a one-act comedy, Taken For Granted; three screenplays, Hearing Trouble, Star Struck and ...

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