People of a certain age, including myself, will remember the halcyon early days of television. The programmes would be professionally presented and it was worth staying in at night, so that you could see them. They featured the superstars of the day, including such showbiz giants as Muffin the Mule, Andy Pandy, and Bill and Ben - not forgetting, of course, Sooty and Sweep! Ah! Those were the days! Throughout my life, I have sworn that I would never become a MOGWIN (Miserable Old Git, Wallowing In Nostalgia). Yet here I am, bemoaning the lost pleasures of a bygone era. A regular delight in those days was the weekly murder mysteries penned by Edgar Wallace. Remember them? At that time, I was an avid reader of Agatha Christie, so I tended to be a little bit snobbish about the Edgar Wallace stories, which I considered shallow. This, of course, was long before the days when television, cars and computers dominated our everyday lives. Plus ca change! Murder and mystery One of Wallace's most popular stories was The Case of the Frightened Lady. When I watched those mysteries on television, I could usually work out who had committed the crime well before the end. However, listening to the audience, as they filed out of the theatre, very few of them had worked out who the criminal was on this occasion. The Case of the Frightened Lady is a country house murder mystery, typical of the genre, with all the classic ingredients. These included Kelver, a snobbish butler (Derek Wright), two stupid footmen, a domineering mother, three blundering policeman, a wimp-ish son, Lord Lebanon, as well as the frightened lady herself. It was certainly a bit of a frightening environment in which to place the lady that mummy hoped would marry her son, thereby making a proper man of him. Anne Charleston, who played Madge in Neighbours for many years, starred as the countess, Lady Lebanon. James Pearse took the role of chief inspector Tanner, who gradually unravelled the clues and unearthed fresh evidence, before denouncing the murderer. His performance was the shining light of the production, in my opinion. Bruce James Production The play was presented by Bruce James Productions. This was their seventh presentation of 2005 on this stage. The preceding six, all comedies in different forms, were all excellent. The Case of the Frightened Lady maintained the high standards for which Bruce James Productions are renowned. I am looking forward to seeing what offerings we will have in the new year in Weston-super-Mare. Why not make an early resolution to go to live theatre more often yourself?
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