Heartbreak, intrigue, death and a playwright determined to uncover his fiancee’s killer are the ingredients which make up Rehearsal for Murder.
A year after the death of Lady Monica Welles, her fiance gathers together the same people who were present on the night she died. The heartbroken Alex Dennison is holding a reading for his new play in the same theatre where Monica apparently committed suicide. But the further into the reading Alex goes, the clearer it becomes that Alex thinks there was more to Monica’s death than suicide.
This play is penned by those who are no strangers to writing murder mysteries. The award-winning team comprises Richard Levinson and William Link, creators of sleuth-based TV series Murder She Wrote and Columbo.
Rehearsal for Murder is the first production for The Classic Thriller Theatre Company. The group was born off the back of the success of Bill Kenwright Ltd and The Agatha Christie Theatre Company and features a cast of well-known faces – Alex Ferns, Susie Amy, Gary Mavers, Mark Wynter, Ben Nealon, Anita Harris and Lauren Drummond.
Alex Ferns, who is known for his role as the hateful EastEnders villain Trevor Morgan, is no stranger to treading the boards and show tours. His credits include South Pacific and The Little Shop of Horrors among other stage and screen successes.
Alex said: “Bill Kenwright sent me the script, which is great. When I met Roy Marsden, the director, I said I wanted to do it because I really wanted to work with him.”
Being a fan of the murder-mystery genre was one of the things which enticed him into doing the play. Having previously worked with Mark Wynter and Anita Harris, he knew he would enjoy the tour.
“I take my golf clubs everywhere I go.
“I enjoy meeting people from different cities. I love doing that because you get an insight into the community,” Alex said.
Alex is often recognised as the abusive soap character Trevor, from EastEnders. Despite it holding back his career for a couple of years, he has no regrets because of the great character and the intrigue he could bring to the role. Now he has stepped off the screen and on to the stage, theatre is his preferred job.
“It would always be theatre for me,” he said.
“The interaction with the audience is incredible. You know when you’ve got them, you just feel it. When you bring people into the play and there’s a silence, it’s incredible,” he added.
Another man who has had the challenge of playing a screen villain is Gary Mavers. His portrayal of Gordon Livesy in Emmerdale, who was convicted of child abuse, was one he did not take on without consideration.
Gary said: “It was difficult because I was conscious of wanting to do a proper job and do it justice. For people who are abused, you can’t take it lightly.”
In Rehearsal for Murder, Gary plays the director, Lloyd. The character is returning to the theatre to find that they are to act out the scenes which will catch the killer.
“People love that whodunit. They just like to guess who it could be. This is unusual because it’s a play within a play, so the audience has to be completely with it all the way otherwise they’ll not know what’s going on.
“Expect lots of twists and turns. You’ll see a company of actors enjoying a brilliant play as much as you are,” he said.
Rehearsal for Murder is at HM Theatre in Aberdeen from August 30 to September 3. See www.aberdeenperformingarts.com
