The Gruntfuttock Fortune
Venue: Grove Theatre, Eastbourne.
Date: Sunday, August 25th, 2024.
By Tony Flood
The Gruntfuttock Fortune, a murder mystery presented by Morlington Murders, provided great fun, brain-teasing entertainment and an excellent afternoon tea for an appreciative audience at The Grove Theatre in Eastbourne on Sunday.
A talented cast of Radley Mason, his wife Holly Mason and Steve Scott cleverly played a variety of roles as three murders were committed in the sleepy little Cornish Village of Morlington Hill in 1941.
As promised, Nigel Fairs’ spoof treated us to ‘Carry On meets Christe’ by coming up with some saucy punch lines – and names such as Connie Lingus – amongst the murders of Lord Reginald Morlington, his solicitor Edward Gruntfuttock and the solicitor’s daughter Kitty.
Radley Mason gave an excellent portrayal of Detective Knibblet, interrogating the suspects and challenging us to unravel the clues – after making an early appearance as the Lord’s daughter Fiona. Holly Mason switched from the upper-crust Lady Geraldine Morlington to plain-speaking gamekeeper Connie Lingus, while Artistic Director Steve Scott’s most dramatic appearance was as her ladyship’s missing son.
It got a tad confusing at times, but nobody cared as audience members were able to sift through the clues over drinks, sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and cake. The winning team received a bottle of bubbly!
The Grove Theatre, an intimate arts venue located on Grove Road, under Eastbourne Library, will also be staging murder mystery suppers on the evenings of September 20th (Trouble at Tinkle’s Bottom), October 25th (Hollywood Homicide), November 29th and December 13th.
A buffet-style meal of cold meats, salads, cheese and breads, followed by cake, is included in tickets for the evening shows, which start at 7.30 pm and are priced £29.50.
Morlington Murders are also bringing their murder mysteries to The Lamb Inn, Old Town, starting on Thursday, September 26th. Food includes pie and an alcoholic drink.
Radley Mason says: “Every month there’s a new script so audiences can experience a different show each time.”
Pictures of the cast are provided by Josh Lewis.
