The Wilmslow Green Room is proud to be performing one of Dame Christie’s own favourite plays, “The Unexpected Guest” as their mid-summer production at Gawsworth Hall next month.
Agatha Christie is reputedly the most widely published author of all time with her works outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible. That’s quite a short-list to be on. She is regarded by generations of fans as the greatest mystery writer ever and her novels are read and cherished the world over, her plays seen by thousands of audiences globally and most works have been successfully turned into television plays and award-winning films.
This murder mystery is about a woman named Laura Warwick. The unexpected guest is a stranger, Michael Starkwedder, who appears at her isolated residence this fateful day to find a dead man slumped in a wheelchair inside the house, Laura standing outside in the garden. He tells Laura his name and that his car is stuck in a ditch having apparently run off the road nearby in fog. She readily admits to her husband’s murder and asks Michael to call the police. However, he advises against this and instead offers to help her concoct an alibi and cover story.
But why should a complete stranger offer his assistance in this way?
He asks Laura to think about any enemies her husband may have had. There are several potential candidates and he chooses one of her husband’s acquaintances who is supposed to be in Canada. Then, he starts destroying evidence, wiping away fingerprints and cleaning up in order to direct police attention away from Laura.
So is it possible that Laura Warwick did not commit the murder after all? And if that’s the case, who is she protecting and why? In true Christie style, the house is full of possible suspects and appearances are sure to deceive in this twisty mystery.
Slickly directed by Steve Williamson and with a consummate cast of veteran Wilmslow Green Room actors, “The Unexpected Guest” runs at Gawsworth Hall from Thursday July 1st to Sunday July 4th. Tickets can be purchased Saturday mornings at the Green Room theatre from 11am to 12 noon or from Gawsworth Hall.
For more information on becoming a Wilmslow Green Room member and to learn more about its upcoming schedule of activities, please visit their website.
Picture: Front seats = David Reynolds (Julian Farrar) and Alex Johnson (Laura Warwick). Back seats = Celia Bonner (Miss Bennett) and Adam Peerbaccus (Jan Warwick).
