...and parents milling around the Quad in fox furs, Oxford bags and fedoras! Years 7 and 8 put on a double bill of two short Agatha Christie plays, The Patient and An Afternoon at the Seaside. In keeping with the theme, Sam Birks provided Agatha Christie-themed drinks (Sparkling Cyanide and Daiquiris on the Nile were particular favourites) as well as Orient Express sausage rolls!  

First to be performed was The Patient – a dark and moody piece about a paralysed wife who had been pushed off a balcony, by who…? Suspects included her husband Bryan Wingfield (a suave Sasha G), her brother William (a furious and indignant Inigo S-G) and her sister Emmeline (a fabulously shrewish Arthur B). Also in the frame was glamorous femme fatale Brenda Jackson (Henry C), who descended the staircase to gasps of admiration from the audience. Conducting a scientific experiment to discover the truth was the intellectual Dr Ginsberg (Alvin F), assisted by Inspector Cray (Oren E). These two held the play together brilliantly, finally uncovering the truth that the lovelorn Nurse Bond (Benjy C) had been the culprit and was poisoning the patient (Edward Z). 

After an interval and more cocktails and jazz, it was time for something completely different! The hall was turned round so that the action in An Afternoon at the Seaside took place on the stage itself. Mrs Herbert created three beautiful beach huts which evoked a British seaside perfectly. This was a comedy (a broad one!) and the ensemble cast enjoyed themselves hugely! Theo W and James Y as Mr and Mrs Crum established themselves as the central comic couple, a classic comedy double act in the making – one frustrated and the other sardonic… They contrasted well with the flirty Bob and Noreen (Cameron S and Enzo S). An expensive emerald necklace had gone missing, and chief among suspects initially was the stunning Bathing Beauty, played to perfection with stylish aplomb and a great French accent by William S. Contributing to the comedy was the manipulative mother Mrs Gunner (Wilfred S) and her put-upon son Percy (Teddy Y). Inspector Foley (Alfie O) and a hapless beach attendant (Leon S) did their best to solve the mystery, but in the end it was wily Arthur Somers (Theo M) and his accomplice Mr Crum who outwitted everyone.  

Music was provided by the Jazz Band and the Pit Band – a huge thank you to both Ms Willcocks and Mr du Plessis. Mr du Plessis selected era-appropriate music for both plays, as well as composing some very effective incidental music for both, which added to the tension as well as the comedy. As ever, lighting and stage management fell to George W and Ms Higham, who provide such an efficient and competent service – I am not sure how the George-sized gap will be filled next year… 

We were so lucky to have the expert eye of Mrs Crewe and Mrs Garside with costumes, hair and make-up; the boys delighted in wearing wigs and lipstick and looked remarkable! It was such an important part of the production as a whole. Well done to all the cast – it was a fun, exuberant production, with some truly memorable performances. And thank you also, parents, who embraced the Agatha Christie theme with gusto!