Townsville Theatrical Society 1947-1969 A Murder Has Been Arranged June 1950

“A Murder Has Been Arranged” was performed on Friday 2, and Saturday 3 June 1950 at the Theatre Royal, and was also taken to Ingham to perform at the Shire Hall, Ingham, on Sunday 18 June, 1950.

A Murder Has Been Arranged advert Townsville Daily Bulletin Thurs 25 May 1950

Townsville Theatrical Society
‘A Murder Has Been Arranged’, Theatre Royal
Friday 2 and Saturday 3 June, 1950
‘A Murder Has Been Arranged’, Shire Hall, Ingham
Sunday 18 June, 1950
Cast
Rich, elderly Husband…………………………………….. Carl Schuchard
His young wife……………………………………………….. Patricia Hughes
Mrs Wragg………………………………………………………. Lettie Mills
The mother……………………………………………………… Beryl Bonfield
The secretary…………………………………………………… Mary Summerfield
The Strange woman………………………………………… Lyndell Blunt
Jimmy North……………………………………………………. Eric Rees
?????.................................................................. Emlyn Williams
?????.................................................................. Dan Fitzpatrick

Producer …………………………………………………………. Dan Fitzpatrick
Stage manager………………………………………………… Bill Wynn

A Murder has been arranged Townsville Daily Bulletin Sat 3 June 1950

The article on the left reads:
Townsville Daily Bulletin Saturday 3 June 1950
Entertaining 'Murder' at Theatre Royal
At the Theatre Royal last night, the Townsville Theatrical Society presented Emlyn Williams' 'A Murder has Been Arranged'— a glorious mixture of taut suspense (mainly created in the last act by L,yndell Blunt) hysteria, absurdity and the supernatural.
Here are stock characters— the rich, elderly husband, the young beautiful wife, her adventuress mother, the so-brash young man, the evil relative and the garrulous servant; but added are some original touches— the stage being a stage, the participation of the orchestra in the plot, and, of course, the not so original, but entertaining supernatural.
There is a certain air about the proceedings throughout— but it is difficult to take Emlyn Williams seriously about his 'murder' in the first two acts. He works so hard to create suspense— then destroys it, only to rebuild it.
And, if it had been for nothing else, 'A Murder Has Been Arranged' would have been worth-while for four magnificent Pygmalionesque words delivered by Mrs. Wragg (played by Lettie Mills).
Patricia Hughes as the wife— Lettie Mills. Beryl Bonfield as the mother and Mary Summerfield as the secretary are easy and convincing in their roles, but Lyndell Blunt, as the strange woman, is outstanding.
She carries an entire act on her shoulders, and carries it well. For about ten minutes she generates wonderful suspense, then breaks the atmosphere with some blood chilling screaming.
Dan Fitzpatrick, as the cause of all the trouble, made the most of his dramatic moments in Act Three. The position of Eric Rees (as Jimmy North) is never clearly defined, but he is an interesting juvenile lead. Carl Schuchard plays the rich man with gusto, and enjoys himself all the way. Stage manager, Bill Wynn makes a small appearance— for the creation of atmosphere.
Producer Dan Fitzpatrick could have kept a tighter rein on the stylised acting of some of his cast, but he Is at a disadvantage in taking a leading part as well.
Settings were effective and well constructed— creating the impression of a labyrinth of empty dark corridors and dressing rooms surrounding the lighted stage. For once, the designer has the task of making his stage appear very obviously a stage, and he did so by the clever use of angles and corners.
The play will be repeated to-night, and on Sunday will be taken, for one performance, to Ingham.

Ingham Trip to perform Townsville Daily Bulletin Sat 17 June 1950

Ingham trip Townsville Daily Bulletin Mon 19 June 1950

The article above reads:
Last minute arrangements have been made for the first out-of-town performance, of the Townsville Theatrical Society at Ingham on Sunday night. The company will take the full setting by special train on Sunday, give their performance, dismantle the equipment and return to Townsville the same night. This is the first time an amateur theatrical society has 'gone on tour' in North Queensland. There were, some time ago, preliminary moves for an exchange of plays by the Townsville and Ayr Societies, but final arrangements could not be made. 'A Murder Has Been Arranged.' by Emlyn Williams, and successfully played in Townsville a fortnight ago, will be shown in Ingham.
The Article above reads:
Residents of Ingham were afforded a treat on Sunday when members of the Townsville Theatrical Society presented successfully the play 'A Murder Has Been Arranged' in the Shire Hall. Those who made the trip from Townsville were Mr. and Mrs. Dan Fitzpatrick, Mesdames J. Summerfield, L. Mills, B. Bonfield, B. Tidey, V. Dudley, J. Gallagher: Misses Pat Hughes, Mary Summerfield, Lyndall Blunt, Mary Bundock, Molly Walsh, and Messrs J. McB. Walker, C. Schuchard, W. Wynne, E. Rees, F. Feather, D. Lloyd, S. Benson and Alan Stephenson.

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