The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery
by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jr.
Production dates: 19 to 22 November 2025 at Hartley Village Hall
Directed by Lindsey Hudson
Auditions will be held at 8pm on Tuesday 8 July 2025 in the Sports Bar (upstairs) at The Pavilion, Punch Croft, New Ash Green, DA3 8HS.
If you are interested in auditioning, please contact Lindsey Hudson (07875 758161; lins.hudson@yahoo.co.uk).
If unable to make the audition but interested in taking a part, please also contact Lindsey to arrange an alternative date.
There will be no playreading, but scripts are available from Lindsey, to read in advance of the auditions.
You do not need to be a member of Hartley Players to audition but, if you are successful, you will need to become a member (£20 p.a.)
Synopsis – The ladies of the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild are nothing if not ambitious! Four of them, or five if you count Gordon the stage manager, who is pressed into service after an unfortunate incident with a spotlight leaves one of the ladies incapacitated, play fourteen roles! What could possibly go wrong? The answer is – everything! This hilarious farce rivals the Whitehall farces of the sixties and the more contemporary ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ to provide an evening full of belly laughs. A string of murders at Checkmate Manor leaves the audience guessing who the perpetrator is. Add in a space-age fashion show, a prize for guessing the murderer and free fudge, what more could you ask? Who has the most to gain? Who will survive the carnage? Can Inspector O’Reilly solve the crime? The cast will have as much fun as the audience.
Casting: All roles can be any age and most of the Farndale characters play several roles of either sex within the murder mystery. All auditions will be from script, details on sections for each role will be provided.
ROLES:
Gordon – Stage Manager, often stepping in to help when leading ladies get in trouble, his acting skills when playing the Inspector are frequently compared to a ‘tailor’s dummy’
Felicity – Known for delivering her lines as if seeing them for the first time, making for comedic timing.
Audrey – Portrayed as shy and timid, often making mistakes in her lines.
Mrs Reece – The leader of the group and a key figure in solving the mystery. She is often portrayed as having the ability to save the day, with a final twist in the plot.
Thelma – Loud and self-proclaimed leading lady, often making grand pronouncements and taking centre stage.
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