16 May 08 (19:32 EAT)

The Soapy Murder Case

Theatre goers in Moshi had 'a tasty treat' on Friday and Saturday the 16th and 17th March, with the first full length production by The Moshi Players, a performance of Tim Kelly's farce, The Soapy Murder Case.
This was such a success that the Moshi Players took their production to ISM's Arusha Campus in May.

Hans van der Velden
Alastair Brandon	Leonie van Klinken with Pam York

Set in the mid-town penthouse apartment of wealthy recluse Horatio Tucker, the plot revolves around revenge, intrigue, passion and murder. Hans van der Velden gave a stunning performance as grumpy Old Man Tucker, marvellously supported by both Kate Scott as the sycophantic Ivy M Robespierre, TV producer of the soap which promotes Tucker's All Purpose Detergent and Pudding Powder and Karen Rooms playing Mr Tucker's long suffering servant, Mrs Naugahide. The entrance of college boy Neil Fletcher (Phil Rheinholt) was greeted by spontaneous applause surpassed only by the appearance of Sandra Riches as glamorous Jessica Courtney. As with all of the cast, both showed a great sense of timing and aplomb.

Kate Scott
Neil Fletcher	Edwin Post with Sandra Riches

Edwin Post, playing director Link Kenencott and Chris Rushman, playing hard-nosed but soft-centred cop David Somerset gave the performance breadth but perhaps the most eye-catching of the performers were Pam York playing dippy Dottie Duncan and Leonie van Klinken playing saintly bag lady Mother La Mooch. Few who saw it will forget the passionate struggle on the sofa as Ivy reveals her true feelings to a horrified Dr Brock (Alastair Brandon), or the removal of the 'dead' Horatio Tucker, displaying the slapstick skills of Rushman, Fletcher and van der Velden.


Chris Rushman	Karen Rooms

Special thanks are due to the director, Bunty Chibber, and set designer, John Rolfe.
Overall, a very professional performance which had the audience laughing out loud throughout. We look forward to seeing more of The Moshi Players.