Murder Mystery in Village Setting
“Did anyone ask permission for the side chapel in 1465?”
Canon Daniel Clement
Villages are the perfect setting for murder mysteries because there are so many local characters we can enquire about and investigate. Murder Before Evensong was written first as a novel by the television personality, Reverend Richard Coles and has been adapted for the stage by the director Paul Hart, and Shaun McKenna. It is set in the fictional, rural village of Champton St Mary in Shropshire in the 1980s.
The initial cause for consternation is the rector Daniel Clement (Ian Hallard)’s plan to remove some of the back pews in order to install a lavatory. There is opposition to this especially among the villagers who decorate the church with flowers. Nearby is the local lord of the manor Bernard de Floures (David Hounslow) who is hosting an open day about the World War II history of the house when it was a hospital for French airmen.
A mural painting of the villagers in the Second World War has been discovered under whitewash by local historian Anthony Bowness (Jaz Singh Deol). Meanwhile Lord de Floures’ son Alex de Floures (Ajani Colbey) is planning an anti-colonial protest masque against the British Empire. Added interest is from the rector’s mother Audrey Clement (Caroline Gruber) and his acting brother Theo (Alex Wilson) who is looking for tips on a role he has as a clergyman and wants to shadow his brother.
The village is full of secrets, two of the men are having a secret gay relationship and there are secrets about Harvey Porteous (Ajani Colbey) who was adopted as a baby. Each actor apart from Ian Hallard plays at least two roles but there are costume differences and accents to differentiate. There are enough characters introduced to create a mystery when the first man is found murdered in the rear pew at the church. The victim is Anthony Bowness and he has been killed by a pair of secateurs being plunged in his neck from behind.
Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo (Jaz Singh Deol) investigates for the police and Canon Clement becomes his assistant. I was nowhere near working out who could have committed the first murder and two more only made it more complicated. There is a travelling man Edgy Liversedge (David Hounslow) whose son Nathan Liversedge (Alex Wilson) works as a gardener and is involved in some way.
Ceci Calf’s set has large windows which cleverly change according to venue. Rachel Samplay has adroitly designed different stained glass windows to take us from the church to the manor house to a local café with tulips on the windows. Everyone works very hard on their different characterisations and Kate Russell-Smith switches from the Lord of the Manor’s posh sister Honoraria to head scarfed Dora who worked as a maid in the manor house and whose sister Kath Sharman (Caroline Gruber) is doubling as the canon’s mother.
Murder Before Evensong is an engaging evening in the charming Watermill Theatre for we amateur sleuths!
Editor of TheatreVibe.co.uk
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Production Notes
Murder Before Evensong
Written by Rev Richard Coles
Adapted for the stage by Paul Hart and Shaun McKenna
Directed by Paul Hart
Cast
Starring:
Alex Wilson
Caroline Gruber
David Hounslow
Ian Hallard
Julie Teal
Kate Russell-Smith
Ajani Cabey
Jaz Singh Deol
Creatives
Director: Paul Hart
Designer: Ceci Calf
Lighting Designer: Charly Dunford
Fight Director: Kev McCurdy, Sam Lyon-Behan
Composer and Musical Director: DJ Walde
Sound Designer and Composer: Steven Atkinson
Information
Running Time: Two hours 25 minutes including an interval
Booking to 14th November 2026
Theatre:
Watermill Theatre
Bagnor,
Newbury
RG20 8AE
Box Office: 01635 46044
Website: watermill.org.uk
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the Watermill Theatre
on 29th September 2026