School Plays

Murder At The Fancy-Dress Ball

Synopsis:
 

Lady Sarah Gordon-Ogilvy is looking forward to the highlight of her life. It is the year 2005, and she has recently been elected chairwoman of the Horticultural Society of the Scottish Highlands. She has organised a fancy-dress ball for tonight to raise money for her society’s most ambitious project ever: the introduction of the Swiss Edelweiss into the Scottish Highlands. Even Lady Elizabeth Mountbatten, chairwoman of the English Horticultural Society, and relative of Prince Philip’s, the Queen’s husband, has agreed to appear as guest of honour.

But then things start to go wrong. Their daughter Moira chooses that very evening to introduce her new boyfriend, an English painter, to her family. Moira’s father, Colonel Ian Gordon, the retired commander of The Queen’s Own Highlanders, is ‘not amused’. Only a genuine Scotsman and officer is good enough for his daughter – and definitely not a starving artist.

And no sooner has the ball begun than Lady Jocelyn Murray, one of the board members of the Horticultural Society, is shot dead in plain view of the guests. The long arm of Al-Qaeda has reached this remote spot in the Scottish Highlands and is also threatening to assassinate George Bush and the other world leaders who are meeting in Edinburgh in two days for the G8 summit.

‘Murder At The Fancy-Dress Ball’ is a crime comedy with a serious political background and plenty of gags. The characters are well drawn and the actors look wonderful in their colourful costumes. Two murders are shown on stage, and yet the audience only discovers who the murderer is and what his motives are at the very end of the last act.

The actors have to play two roles: themselves and the person in fancy-dress – quite a challenge!