A Frightful Evening – by
Ian McCutcheon
What’s It All About?
*A Murder Mystery for an
acting company to perform to an audience
*The cast perform a
script
*The audience try to work
out whodunit
What Does Lazy Bee
Scripts Provide?
Lazy Bee Scripts supplies
a pack of material, including:
*An Overview for the
Organizer, including
--Guidelines for
preparing the mystery
--Guidelines for running
the mystery
--Suggested timings
*The script for 2 scenes
*Character Briefs for
each character
--Character description
--Character history
--Motivation
*The Solution
--A final scripted scene
*Additional Materials
--Six pieces of evidence
for the audience to examine
--Detective Sheets for
the audience to submit their accusations
What’s an
Interactive Murder Mystery?
*A combination of drama
from an acting company and detective work from the audience
*In this case
--A Frightful Evening is
a Murder Mystery designed to be played by 7 actors
--The actors perform two
formal scenes, then the audience receive additional written clues from which
they try to solve the mystery before a speech by the narrator reveals the
guilty party
*This Mystery Needs
--An ‘acting company’ of 4 men and 3 women
--One set comprising
furniture and practical doors/windows
*Estimated run times
(which may vary enormously!)
--Scripted elements: 70
minutes
What’s the
Mystery Here?
Courtney Fish is a crime
writer, and although rich and famous she has a serious heart condition. The
beneficiaries to her will are due to gather at her home, and someone’s in for a
fatal shock. Those appearing are:
Courtney
Fish: A famous, wealthy crime
writer
Flora
Light: Her secretary and PA,
whose mother urgently needs expensive medical care
Claude
Ball: Her husband, although an
acrimonious divorce is a already under way
Willy
Turner-Lampon: Courtney’s lawyer, and a
gambler who creditors are chasing him for money
Jilly Fish: Courtney’s sister. Not on the best terms with Courtney, but
needs money for a business venture.
Herr
Ringull: An Austrian fisherman,
who once saved Courtney’s life, and is now about to go bankrupt.
The script also calls for
a Narrator who acts as Master of Ceremonies, distributing further evidence
before the accusations, and revealing the solution at the end.
A Frightful
Evening – By Ian McCutcheon
Organizer’s
Overview – Read This First!! Customer Taster
A Frightful
Evening
Courtney Fish is a crime
writer, and although rich and famous she has a serious heart condition. The
beneficiaries to her will are due to gather at her home, and someone’s in for a
fatal shock.
Organizer’s
Overview – Read this THOROUGHLY before touching, printing or distributing the
rest of the material!
Overview
A Frightful Evening is a
Murder Mystery designed to be played by 7 actors. The actors perform two formal
scenes, then the audience receive additional written clues from which they try
to solve the mystery before a speech by the narrator reveals the guilty party.
Characters
Courtney
Fish: A famous, wealthy crime
writer. She has a serious heart condition, and several beneficiaries to her will,
all of whom are desperate for money.
Flora
Light: Her secretary and PA,
who’s mother urgently needs expensive medical care.
Claude
Ball: Her husband, although an
acrimonious divorce is already under way.
Willy
Turner-Lampon: Courtney’s lawyer and a
gambler who’s creditors are chasing him for money.
Jilly Fish: Courtney’s sister. Not on the best of terms with Courtney, but
needs money for a business venture.
Herr
Ringull: An Austrian fisherman,
who once saved Courtney’s life, and is now about to go bankrupt.
Narrator: Reveals further evidence before the accusations, and reveals
the solution at the end.
Structure
This murder mystery pack
contains:
*The Organizer’s Overview
(this document!) including plot overviews, character overviews, a rough guide
on how to structure your event, notes on setting, and a props list.
*Act One and Two, to be
performed by the actors (Act 1 provided with this Customer Taster)
*Six pieces of evidence
for the audience to examine (One provided with this Customer Taster)
*”Accusation Sheets” for the audience to enter their solutions
*The Solution
Plot
Overview
Courtney Fish, a wealthy
crime writer, has been suffering with a heart condition for some time now. She
regularly has to take medication to fend off life-threatening seizures. These
have been frequent recently, as she has been receiving frightening anonymous
phone calls. She has invited the four beneficiaries given in her will – and her
husband Claude, who is currently engaged in a legal battle with Courtney over
her most successful literary creation – to hear an announcement; she intends to
give her entire estate to charity if the caller (whom she suspects to be among
their number) does not come forward.
The beneficiaries arrive
but, before Courtney can make her announcement, she receives a letter telling
her the anonymous caller has marked her for death – and furthermore, they are
in the room with her! This brings on one of her well-known seizures, but her
medication has no effect and she dies. It appears someone has intentionally
switched her medication with a bottle of headache tablets; the culprit must be,
as the letter suggests, someone in the room.
Whilst the police are
taking their time to arrive, the culprits argue and their possible motivations
for killing the unfortunate Ms. Fish are revealed. A series of unlikely objects
are found in each of their pockets by the police, and the audience – with help
from a few items of evidence and police reports – are left to identify the
killer.
The truth emerges…
eventually!
Running the
script in front of an audience
Note that
you need to purchase a performance license from the Murder Mysteries page of
the Lazy Bee Scripts web site.
Preparation
Initial preparation can
be done by distributing the opening scene, then running a first rehearsal in
which the actors have to guess the identity of the murderer (evaluating the
written evidence) before they seen the script for the Final Scene. (It’s fun!
Why not? It also ensures that the actors before familiar with the logic of the
mystery – they will learn more about themselves and their roles from the
evidence). Decide on the format for declaring the winner and if you will be
using a tie-breaker question in the event that two or more audience members
guess the murderer correctly.
Open the
event by acting out the scripted dialogue.
Distribute
the written evidence
Announce that you wish
them to evaluate a selection of the evidence gathered by the police. Give the
audience a specified time to evaluate the evidence.
Accusations
At the end of the
evaluation period, ask the audience to fill in the accusation sheets. (Make
sure you have some spare pens or pencils!)
Solution
Act out the final scene
Prize
giving
There may be an option to
read out some of the (more bizarre) audience solutions! Declare the winner. In
the event of a draw, you may wish to include your own tie-breaker question.
Award a prize to the best solution! (And possibly a prize for the worst.)
As a broad
guide your event might run as follows:
Other timings could be
accommodated, especially if you want your audience to eat earlier!
Character
Overviews
A successful and wealthy
writer of crime thrillers, Courtney Fish lives in a large
comfortable house near the coast. But she has problems, in particular a serious
heart condition, which makes walking an effort, and can lead to her suffering
minor seizures during periods of even mild stress. She has tablets which
provide instant relief – but for how long? She’s the nervous type at the best
of times, and has received a number of anonymous and disturbing phone calls
recently, which have made things a lot worse. And then there’s her husband…
Having had his short and
unremarkable career as a lion tamer cut short by a painful injury, Claude Ball swept Courtney off her feet eight years ago, and they were
married within weeks of their first meeting. Since then Claude has devoted most
of his time to spending as much of Courtney’s money as he can get his hands on.
He is now anxious for a divorce, but has been advised by his solicitor to
remain in the matriomonial home until his settlement has been agreed. However,
Claude is locked in an expensive legal dispute with Courtney’s solicitor over
the financial rights to her greatest creation – the charismatic Australian
detective Sidney Harber-Bridge. Claude maintains it was he who invented the
character, but Courtney is adamant she created him, inspired by a holiday in New South Wales Sidney
Flora Light has been Courtney’s faithful and devoted secretary for years,
and has typed all her manuscripts. She has watched in admiration as her
employer achieved fame and fortune in the literary world. But Flora has a
family crisis with her mother, who is in urgent need of the sort of care only
provided by expensive nursing homes that Flora cannot afford… Unless Courtney
can come to her rescue. But when Flora asked for a loan Courtney turned her
down. There have been rumors that Flora has been seen out with a mysterious
male companion on her rare days off, but is he rich enough to help her? When
the chips are down, blood is thicker than water, and if Courtney were to have a
fatal heart attack…
Courtney thinks she has a
friend in her solicitor Willy Turner-Lampon. Maybe. But
Willy is certainly no friend of Claude’s, as he is representing Courtney’s
interests in the Sidney Harber-Bridge affair, and the divorce. However, Willy
is in serious financial trouble. He lives beyond his means in order to preserve
his image as a high profile lawyer to the rich and famous. And due to his
gambling addiction he owes a great deal of money to three bookmakers of dubious
repute – and they won’t wait much longer. Willy was pinning his hopes on a
substantial loan from Courtney, but she refused him. Time is running out, and
he cannot hope to benefit from her will in time… Or can he?
Jilly Fish is Courtney’s sister although they are not, in the words of the
song, such devoted sisters. Jilly was unable to hide her disgust when Courtney
fell for Claude’s charms, and the sisters have scarcely spoken since the
wedding was announced. Jilly currently lives in London, but has agreed to spend
a few days with Courtney, who has mysteriously demanded that all those who are
due to benefit from her will must meet at her home as a matter of extreme
urgency. Jilly is anxious to get away to France as soon as she can, in order to
continue renovation work on a run-down hotel in which she recently invested
everything she had. One day it will turn out to be a goldmine, but it’s a money
put at present. If only she could think of a way to get a quick injection of
cash.
A self employed Austrian
fisherman would seem an unlikely beneficiary in her will, but Courtney owes her
life to Herr
Ringull. He just happened to be
in the right place at the right time when Courtney crashed her Mercedes into a
tree. Had he not dragged her half-conscious body from the wreckage she would
certainly have died in the subsequent explosion that tore the car apart. As a
dedicated member of the Socialist Workers’ Party, Franz Ringull now resents
helping to preserve the life of one so rich. When he discovered who she was he
is reported to have said “I wish I had left her in
ze car.” Although the thought of
some badly needed funds to boost his flagging business might just allow Herr
Ringull to put aside his political views and accept the bequest when it comes…
But will that be in time to save him from bankruptcy?
Setting
The setting for this
piece is the lounge of an ordinary house. One door leads out into the hall. All
the other downstairs rooms, and the stairs, are off the hall. A very simple set
– sofa and chair, a coffee table, with a phone on it. Courtney’s handbag is
down by the side of the chair she is sitting in, the side facing the audience.
A small bottle of tablets is just under the chair.
Props – Act
1
Sofa and chairs, a coffee
table with a phone on it (Set Onstage), Handbag (Courtney), A pill bottle
(under a chair), A sheet of paper (Courtney), A holdall/bag (Jilly), Car keys
(Jilly), An envelope containing a letter (Flora)
Act 2
Set as before, Handbag as
before (now containing a pill bottle with a few tablets in it.)
Customer
Taster, Extracted from the Main Script
A Frightful
Evening
Characters
Courtney
Fish – A successful, aging
crime thriller writer. Suffers from a heart condition which gives her regular
stress-induced attacks, against which her only defense is a bottle of medicinal
tablets.
Claude Ball – Her husband, although he has been trying to divorce her for
some time, delayed by a legal battle over who (of the two of them) created her
most successful literary character.
Flora Light – Courtney’s faithful secretary. Her mother has recently fallen
ill and Flora needs a substantial sum of money to ensure she gets the right
treatment. Courtney refused to lend her anything.
Jilly Fish – Courtney’s sister. The two are not on the best of terms,
since Jilly disapproved of Courtney’s hasty marriage to Claude. Owns a hotel in
France
Willy
Turner-Lampon – Courtney’s solicitor,
representing her interests in her legal battle with Claude. He has gambling
debts – in excess of several thousands – which need paying off soon.
Herr
Ringull – An Austrian fisherman
living in the nearby coastal village of Bogsea
A Frightful
Evening
Act 1
(The drama
unfolds in the lounge of Courtney and Claude’s home. One door leads out into
the hall. All the other downstairs rooms, and the stairs, are off the hall.) (A
very simple set – sofa and chair, a coffee table, with a phone on it.
Courtney’s handbag is down by the side of the chair she is sitting in, the side
facing the audience. A small bottle of tablets (unseen by the audience) is just
under the chair.) Courtney is alone on stage, sitting in her favorite chair,
reading something on a sheet of paper
Courtney:
(Finishes reading and sighs) I hope I’m doing the
right thing. (The phone rings, and keeps ringing.)
Courtney: Oh no! It can’t be… I can’t face it. (She shouts) Flora! Flora!! Oh where is she? Flora!!! Where are you? (She looks anxiously at
the phone, then picks it up) Hello… Hello?... Oh
no!... Why are you doing this to me?... Who are you?... What do you want?... Speak
to me for God’s sake!... Ooh… Go to hell!! (She slams the phone down, grimaces with pain and clutches her
chest.)
(Enter
Flora. She is wearing a jacket. She realizes Courtney’s have a heart spasm).
Flora: Quick, take a tablet! Where are they?
Courtney: They must be in my bag.
Flora:
(searching frantically through the bag) No they’re
not.
(Enter
Claude)
Claude: What’s all the noise?
Flora: She’s having an attack you stupid man, isn’t it obvious? And we
can’t find her tablets.
Claude:
(looking down) Well I can. (He sees the bottle,
picks it up and gives it to Courtney, who takes a tablet as quickly as she can.
The relief is almost instant.)
Courtney:
(Now recovering) Where was the bottle?
Claude: Just by your bag. (He looks at Flora) Didn’t you
see it, you stupid woman? Wasn’t it obvious? (He takes the bottle from Courtney and puts it in the table).
Courtney: It must have fallen out of my bag.
Claude: How extremely convenient.
Flora: And what do you mean by that?
Claude: Work it out for yourself – you’re the one with the degree… In
Latin and Ancient Greek, isn’t it? Very useful!
Flora: Better than being an uneducated sponger! (She turns to Courtney) Was that The Voice again?
Courtney: I think so. (Pause) I don’t know why we call
him The Voice, he hardly ever speaks.
Claude: I thought you said you didn’t know if it was a woman or a man?
Courtney: I don’t. But women don’t make calls like that, do they?
Claude: Oh don’t they? (He looks accusingly at
Flora)
Flora: You’re pathetic. (To Courtney) I’ll be back in a minute. (Exit Flora)
Courtney: I wish you’d leave her alone. She’s done nothing to hurt you.
Claude: Perhaps I just enjoy the sport. Now… Was there something you
wanted to talk to me about?
Courtney: Yes. If I ask you nicely, will you stay in this evening?
Claude: I might. But you haven’t asked me nicely, have you?
Courtney: I’m asking you nicely now… Will you please stay in this
evening?
Claude: Why?
Courtney: I’ve already told you: it’s something I’ve got to say to you
and to everyone who’s in the will.
Claude: But I already know what you’re going to say, don’t I? And I
have absolutely no desire to see that so-called apology for a lawyer… Willy
Nilly or whatever his name is. And the same goes for that stuck-up sister of
yours.
Courtney: You know very well what his name is. And Jilly is not stuck-up.
Claude: Huh!! Anyway, I’ve got an appointment.
Courtney: Who with? Where?
Claude: With a large gin at the Dog and Duck.
Courtney: Won’t you do this one thing for me? It’s not much to ask is it?
Claude: Oh… alright. Just don’t expect me to make small talk with Silly
Will – or that German communist.
Courtney: He’s not a communist, he’s in the socialist something or other
party… And he’s Austrian. Oh I wish you’d just stop arguing with me all the
time. I’ll have another attack in a minute.
Claude: No you won’t. And if you do, you know where these are now (he picks up the bottle)… After she hid them.
Courtney: Why would she hide them?
Claude: I’ll leave you to work that out – you’re the one that writes
detective stories. (He puts the bottle back on the table) (Enter Flora)
Claude: Call me when the vultures arrive – I’ll be in my study. (He looks at Flora) Oh good… Mrs. Danvers is here! (Exit Claude)
Flora: The sooner you get divorced and that creature is out of your
life the better. Has he been upsetting you again?
Courtney: No more than usual. (Pause) I’m sorry about your
mother Flora. But I really don’t think I can lend you such a substantial sum
without… (She pauses
again)
Flora: Without any real hope of getting it back? Is that what you were
going to say?
Courtney: No, that’s not what I meant at all. Oh dear, this is so very
difficult. (She winces and puts her hand to her chest)
Flora:
(Concerned) Do you need a tablet? (She picks the bottle up
from the table)
Courtney: No dear… At least, not yet. (She laughs) But I may do later.
Flora: After you’ve told them? (She puts the bottle back on the table)
Courtney: They’re not going to like it are they?
Flora: No. I suppose you’ve told him already.
Courtney: I thought I should.
Courtney: I thought I should.
Flora: I wonder if he’s told the others?
Courtney: I hardly think so!! He hates Willy, he can’t stand Jilly and he
doesn’t even know Franz. And he only speaks to you when he has no choice.
Flora: And how did he take it?
Courtney: Surprisingly well in circumstances. He just said he didn’t give
a flying fish about my will, as it was only a matter of time before the courts
decided Sidney Harbe-Bridge was his idea and he’d be rich from the royalties.
Flora: Did he actually say flying fish?
Courtney: No dear, not exactly. (There is a knock at the front door)
Flora: I’ll go. (She looks at her watch.) It’s probably Herr Ringull. It’s exactly 8 o’clock and you know how punctual Germans are.
Courtney: He’s Austrian dear.
Flora: Well that’s the same thing, isn’t it? (Exit Flora)
Courtney:
(Tapping her heart) Just don’t give up on me
yet. (Enter
Flora and Willy. Willy is wearing a jacket.)
Flora: I was wrong.
Willy: Hello gorgeous! How’s the old ticker?
Courtney: Still going Willy. Thank you for coming.
Willy: Not at all, my lovely. I was intrigued by your call. What it
all about?
Courtney: All in good time. (To Flora) Flora dear, I need to
have a quiet word with Willy… would you make us some coffee?
Flora: Yes of course.(Exit Flora) (Willy sits down)
Willy: Now listen old darling, I…
Courtney:
(Interrupting) No!! I don’t want to
hear another word about it.
Willy: Courtney – please!! There are bad people to owe money to. If I
don’t give them something very soon I don’t know what they might do.
Courtney: You should have thought about that when you accepted their
offer of credit. I’m not prepared to waste thirty thousand pounds to cover you
bad debts.
Willy: I’ll give you one last chance to…
Courtney:
(Interrupting) One last chance, Willy?
What does that mean?
Willy: Nothing. I’m sorry old love. Just forget it. I’ll sort
something out. (Pause) Changing the subject
completely, are you sure the old ticker’s OK? (He picks up the bottle and looks at it)
Courtney: It’s fine.
Willy: Still taking the tablets I see.
Courtney: Please put them down Willy – I’ve already lost track of them
once today.
Willy: Sorry old darling. (He puts the bottle back on the table) (Another knock at the
door)
Flora:
(From off stage) I’ll go. It’s probably
that German.
Courtney: He’s Austrian dear. (To herself) But how did she know… And
what was she…?
Willy: What’s that old darling?
Courtney: Oh nothing. (Enter Flora and Jilly, who is carrying a small bag or holdall,
and a handbag. Jilly is wearing a jacket.)
Flora: It wasn’t him.
Courtney: I can see that, dear.
Flora: It’s Jilly.
Courtney: So it is.
Flora: I’ll get back to making the coffee.
Courtney: Thank you dear. (Exit Flora)
Courtney: So… The prodigal sister has returned!
Jilly: Only because you insisted. What’s it all about?
Courtney: All in good time – introductions first. Willy, I’d like you to
meet my sister Jilly. Jilly, this is my old friend and solicitor Willy
Turner-Lampon. He’s a leading light in the Law Society.
Jilly: (To
Willy) Nice to meet you, Willy. (They shake hands)
Willy: The pleasure is all mine, dear lady. (He kisses her hand)
Courtney: OK Willy, you can switch off the charm – Jilly’s as hard up as
you are, and I’m not lending her anything either.
Willy:
(laughing) Courtney always did have
a good sense of humor.
Jilly: Not where money’s
concerned. (She looks at Courtney) Any chance
of that idiot Claude getting my other bag from the car? I think I’ve got a
trapped nerve. (She holds her back and winces with pain) (Before anyone can
speak, enter Claude)
Claude:
(Looking at Jilly) Well well! That’s all I
need. I was hoping that you’d refuse to attend this little get-together, and
the rest of us could have a relatively pleasant evening. But we can’t have
everything, can we?
jIlly: And up yours Claude!! How’s the old injury? Still giving you
the odd twinge… I hope.
Willy: (To
Jilly) I say old thing, that
was a bit below the belt.
Courtney: Oh for Heaven’s sake will you two stop it! You know this
constant bickering is bad for my heart. Claude, would you mind bringing Jilly’s
bag in from her car? She’s having trouble with her back.
Claude: Really?
Jilly: Yes – really!
Claude:
(Sarcastic) Any more little jobs for
me?
Jilly: Yes – if it’s not too much trouble! I’ve got a dreadful feeling
I got a puncture just before I turned into the drive. Would it be too much
effort to have a look for me?
Claude: You’ll be asking me to change the wheel next.
Jilly: Of course not!... the AA can do that.
Claude: Lucky AA! Keys?? (Jilly takes her car keys from her pocket and throws them to
him.) (Exit Claude. There is the sound of the front door shutting loudly.)
Jilly: I’ll go up and start unpacking. Am in my usual room?
Courtney: Yes, dear.
Jilly: Good. I like that room over the front door. I can see whoever comes
to the house.
Courtney: Come back down as soon as you can. I’ve got something to get
off my chest as soon as my last guest arrives.
Jilly: Another guest! How intriguing! (Exit Jilly, with bag and handbag)
Willy: Who’s this other guest? And what are we all doing here anyway?
Courtney: You of all people should be able to guess that, Willy dear.
Willy: Should I?
Courtney: Would you like a clue?’
Willy: I rather think I need one.
Courtney: Right… who drew up my will?
Willy: One of my partners. I couldn’t do it, because I’m in it. Is
that the clue?
Courtney: Yes.
Willy: Sorry, but I’m still in the dark.
Courtney: Well… think about the terms of the will.
Willy: You mean the beneficiaries and all that?
Courtney: Exactly.
Willy: Oh, right. Well, there’s me, of course. Claude’s been cut out…
Jilly gets a share, so does the faithful Flora, and… Oh! I see.
Courtney: Go on.
Willy: Yes, I get it now. You’ve invited all the beneficiaries. So
that Austrian bloke’s coming too, is he? I still think you’ve been a bit
generous to him, old girl.
Courtney: I don’t. And what are the terms of the will?
Willy: Well… now that Claude’s out of it, the four of us get a quarter
each after the usual deductions.
Courtney: And how much do you think that is at the moment?
Willy: Oh Courtney my old love, I wouldn’t have a clue.
Courtney: I would. Just over four million.
Willy: My God! Four million!!... pounds?
Courtney: Each.
Willy: Each?
Courtney: In cash. Plus whatever the house is worth.
Willy: Well!... I didn’t know writing thrillers was so lucrative. Is
this all down to the Sidney Thingy books?
Courtney: More or less. I haven’t written much else. The film and
television rights help, of course.
Willy: I still can’t believe it. And you’ve asked us all here because
of the will? Is that it?
Courtney: More or less.
Willy: So why’s Claude her? He’s out of the will now.
Courtney: Yes, but he’s still got a financial interest in me as long as he
keeps fighting for the rights to my detective.
Willy: He’s got no chance of that, old thing. Not in my professional
opinion. (Pause) So when are you going to spill the beans?
Courtney: I’ll put you out of your misery as soon as Herr Ringull joins
us. (Enter
Claude, carrying a suitcase and Jilly’s keys. He drops the suitcase by the door
and puts the keys on the table.)
Claude: Well that was a waste of time. Stupid cow hasn’t got a
puncture… Except perhaps in her brain.
Courtney: I will not have you insulting my only sister – do you
understand?
Claude: And what are you going to do about it, my dearest? You’ve
already cut me out of your will. Why not have the decency to divorce me so I
can get on with my life?
Courtney: You’re a fine one to talk about decency. After everything I’ve…
(There is a
loud knock at the door.)
Flora:
(From offstage) I’ll get it.
Courtney:
(To nobody in particular) How does she do that?
Willy: How does who do what?
Courtney: Flora. She always seems to be just outside the door at the
right time. How does she manage it?
Claude: I should have thought it was blindingly obvious.
Courtney: Well?
Claude: She’s a snooper. She’s got ears like a bat.
Courtney: Rubbish. You’ve never liked Flora, have you?
Claude: No. But if you’re happy to let her overhear all your private
conversations, that’s your funeral. (Enter Flora and Jilly. Flora is carrying an envelope.)
Flora: (To
Courtney) There was nobody there.
But this was on the mat. It’s for you. (She gives the letter to Courtney)
Jilly:
(Sees her bag and looks at Claude) So you
managed that without getting a hernia I see. Has the mystery guest arrived yet?
(She looks
around the room) Apparently not. (She sees the envelope). A bit late for the postman isn’t it?
Flora: It’s been hand delivered, there’s no stamp. I wonder where it
came from?
Courtney: Well I’ll soon find out, won’t I dear? (Courtney opens the
envelope, takes the letter out and reads it. She gasps, drops the letter on the
floor and falls back into her chair clutching her chest. The others react
accordingly.)
Courtney: My tablets!! Give me my tablets! (Flora grabs the bottle from the table and gives it to
Courtney. She takes a tablet, but this time there is no instant relief.
Courtney’s agony increases and she ‘dies’ – as dramatically as she can manage!
Jilly is the first to react. She checks Courtney’s pulse and turns to the
others, shaking her head.)
Willy: Is she…?
Jilly: Dead? Yes I think she is. (Another knock at the door)
Flora: I’ll go. (Exit Flora)
Claude: Why the hell didn’t the tablet work?
Willy: A good question. (Enter Flora with Ringull. He looks suitably shocked when he
sees the corpse.)
Ringull:
(He speaks with a Austrian accent) Mein Gott!
What has happened here? (They all look at each other, as the curtain falls.)
A Frightful
Evening Evidence Part 1
This is the Last Will and
Testament of: Courtney Dolores Millicent Fish
I hereby revoke all
previous wills and testamentary dispositions made by me.
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