‘A Murder is Announced’ @ Stolen Shakespeare Guild

Photos courtesy of Stolen Shakespeare Guild

—Carol M. Rice

Lesser-known Agatha Christie plays are a favorite of mine, so when I heard Stolen Shakespeare Guild would be presenting A Murder is Announced, I jumped at the chance to see it — and SSG’s beautiful new facility.

Co-Artistic Director Jason Morgan’s stunning set greets patrons as they make their way into the comfortable, intimate theatre. Featuring period furniture and gorgeous wallpaper, the cozy set is the perfect place for an Agatha Christie mystery.

Director Kim Titus has put together a solid cast that has great chemistry and comic timing. That’s right — there’s a lot of humor in A Murder is Announced, and Titus has done an excellent job keeping the pace up and the laughter coming even as the deaths occur.

Dora Bunner, or Bunny to her friends, is in the habit of reading the local Gazette first thing every morning. On one particular Friday the 13th in October, she reads a personal ad that states that a murder will happen at 6:30 that evening, at the home she shares with her life-long friend Letitia “Lettie” Blacklock. But instead of one of the home’s occupants or visitors, an unexpected stranger is murdered — and it is up to Inspector Craddock and the intrepid Miss Marple to sort through the clues.

Bunny is portrayed with scatterbrained sincerity by Barbara Catrett. We aren’t sure whether she’s just a little forgetful or in the early stages of dementia, but whichever it is, Catrett plays the role beautifully.

Laura Martin Jones is sweet and caring as Lettie Blacklock, but she doesn’t make the character one-dimensional, especially as the twists and turns (and murders) cause her distress. She truly gives a multi-dimensional performance.

The brilliant Jessica Peterson portrays Lettie’s grumpy German maid Mitzi, and does so with a wide spectrum of emotions — from being excited about serving her special cake, to angrily threatening to walk out, to astonishment that not everyone likes garlic as much as she does (to name a few). As you might imagine, Mitzi provides plenty of laughs.

As guests of Mrs. Blacklock, Jake Harris and Ashley Hawkins spar well together as brother and sister Patrick and Julia Simmons, even as we question some of their actions and motives. Similarly, we wonder about Sarah Kate Barton as Phillipa Haymes: What she’s really doing there? These three young actors do an excellent job delivering backstory and red herrings as the events unfold.

As Phillipa’s writer friend Edmund Swettenham, Jett Dinh provides another layer of mystery to the proceedings, along with his mother Mrs. Swettenham, played by a haughty Stefanie Glenn. Mrs. Swettenham is a contemporary of Lettie and Bunny, and she and Edmund ten to appear on the scene at the most unfortunate times, adding to the confusion.

Josh Radde is a fabulous Inspector Craddock. He keeps the interrogations on track and adds greatly to the humor of the proceedings. He has exceptional stage presence and facial expressions.

You couldn’t cast someone more perfect than Nancy Lamb as the amateur sleuth Miss Marple. Lamb is spry and inquisitive, always listening intently while seeming to fade into the background as events play out around her. Her subtle yet multi-layered performance is a highlight of the show, and she and Radde have wonderful rapport as they work together to solve the case.

Rounding out the cast are Ben Plopper as Sergeant Mellors, the Inspector’s right hand, and Hugo Morales Saldana as Rudi Scherz, the first murder victim. (Yes, there are multiple murders, but I’m not going to provide spoilers.) Saldana has a particularly difficult role since the character is really only “seen” in the dark before he dies; He has to do it all with his voice.

While Leslie Darbon’s stage adaptation of A Murder is Announced was first produced in the West End in 1977, Christie published the story itself in 1950. No time period is mentioned in the program. Lauren Morgan’s lovely costumes seem to be from a somewhat earlier decade than the ‘70s, which works well for the show — and they coordinate nicely with the vintage elements of the set.

Jennifer Stewart wears many hats for the production, including props, lighting, and sound design, and manages all of them well. I don’t know whether to credit her or Mr. Morgan for the set dressing, but it certainly brought the room together.

If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie or just mysteries in general, Stolen Shakespeare’s A Murder is Announced should be a good pick for you. Try to figure it out before Miss Marple does!

WHEN: September 19-28, 2025
WHERE: 3623 Decatur Avenue, Fort Worth
WEB: stolenshakespeareguild.org