‘Twas the Night before Murder – Smock Alley – Review 

Dinner Theatre – 28, 29, 30 Nov, 1 + 4 Dec

You have probably heard the rags to riches story of Sir Nicholas St. Wenceslaus, but for those who haven’t I will provide a short synopsis of his life. He grew up in abject poverty until he won a mine in a game of ‘Five Man Johnnie’. This turned out to be a remarkable slice of luck, as it generated great wealth and allowed him to follow many philanthropic pursuits. These included the ‘St. Wenceslaus Charitable Foundation for Orphan Children and Dogs who have been Crippled by Orphans’. All that ended tonight, as his body was found in his study. The murderer is still in the building. There are many present that would wanted Sir Nicholas dead, including his adopted daughter Holly, her fiancée Freddie, his Housekeeper Ms. Puddingspoon, his Butler Giftsworth and the Reverend. Tonight we will discover who carried out the terrible crime!

This is a new production by Catastrophe Theatre Company that uses the Banquet Hall in Smock Alley. Catastrophe has used a number of unusual locations in recent years, including car parks, churches, restaurants and libraries. The Banquet Hall is a very impressive space, with ornate plaster work on its ceiling and walls. One draw back of the space is the great height of the ceiling and the voices of the actors were often lost, despite their best efforts to project. It is dinner theatre and the various scenes run between the three courses as the meal is served. It is a three act play with the story being resolved shortly after dessert!

This new play was written by two of its cast members in Colm McCardle and Niall O’Brien. It is a relatively straight forward whodunit with various red herrings along the way. There is some interesting word play and more than a few humorous quips that keep the production moving. It is played for laughs and gets a good number of them. The characters are the stereotypical inhabitants of detective stories and the cast embrace their parts. Not the most complex piece of theatre you’ll see this year, but an unusual and fun offering.

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Written By: Colm McCardle and Niall O’Brien
Directed By: Paul Hayes

Featuring Leah Rossiter, Niall O’Brien, Grainne Rafferty, Colm McArdle and Paudie Breen