This review contains no spoilers.
It has to be said that when it comes to theatres Lighthouse Poole is one of my favourites. Small enough for all to get a great view whatever seat you have, yet large enough for many to be able to enjoy some of the great plays they put on each year, Strictly Murder is one such play.
I love a great murder and when I heard one is taking place in Poole (14/15 March 2017) I wanted to be there to check it out. What intrigued me about this play is that it was one I have not come across before, it is not on a general released book and like many well-known whodunits it has not to my knowledge been on TV.
Set in Provence just before the outbreak of WWII we meet Nick a ‘local’ English artist struggling to sell his paintings of poppies to, he hopes, rich American tourists. He lives with Suzy, his adoring companion who wants nothing in the world other than to marry the man of her dreams, Nick. Together they live in an idyllic world of rural France, their home is small and rustic typically French with sunflower paintings and the odd poppy painting adorning the walls. They live simply enjoying their own world whist around them the rest of Europe is tumbling out of control into War, what could possibly go wrong?
They have a local friend, Josef, a simple man who forgets much and lives in an outhouse just away from their cottage. He is clumsy, lovably silly, forgets everything yet misses nothing, oh, did I say he also likes to carry around a rifle and has more than an interested eye on Suzy?
One day our Suzy announces she is pregnant, a murder takes place, people who we think we knew suddenly make no sense to us, throw in a few detectives and suddenly our ideal world has turned out to be a mixture of murder, who did what, what are they hiding, bluff and double bluffs. It makes for a brilliant play, well written, an excellent production and 2 hours of pure enjoyment. If you are looking for a murder play and something slightly different then make this the play to see this year.
Strictly Murder is currently on at Lighthouse Poole on 14th and 15th March 2017, you can check out this and all 
their other shows on their website www.lighthousepoole.co.uk or call their box office on 01202 280000
This play was produced by “Talking Scarlet” and is now on a UK wide tour until September 2017, locally to us you can see it in:
Poole 15 March
Eastbourne 6 – 8 April
Shanklin IOW 19 – 22 April
Basingstoke 3 – 6 May
Swindon 25 – 27 September
Reviewer Brian Case March 2017