Archive: this cast interview accompanied the 2023 tour of Crimes on Centre Court.
New Old Friends’ Crimes on Centre Court, based on a story from its podcast, was scheduled for the Pavilion Arts Centre on 3 and 4 November 2023. The cast included Ben Thornton, Emile Clarke, Kirsty Cox and Katriona Brown.
The four performers played multiple characters in the tennis-themed comedy murder mystery.
Before the Buxton dates, the cast discussed the show and their roles.
Can you tell us a little but about the show in your own words?
Ben – It’s a funny, farcical, silly murder mystery set at Wimbledon – sorry – Whombledun. Think Agatha Christie meets 39 Steps meets Play That Goes Wrong. With tennis and songs thrown in too…
Emile – A comedy tennis whodunnit. It’s a silly son of a gun of a show!
Kirsty – It’s a really is a fun fast paced spoof. Four actors, us, play all the characters…
Katriona – It’s totally joyous. Lots of silly fun bursting with comedy but with real heart.
Kirsty – There’s a lot of word play and quick costume changes too along with some singing hedges! And there is also a murder mystery to solve at the centre of it.
Who do you play in the show?
Katriona – I play Penny Pink, a private detective who is new to the game but has the determination and brains to solve the case.
Ben – I play Perry Pink who is a rather stupid but loveable detective. Owen Owens who is a Welsh (my amazing accent depending…) tennis umpire. Lord Knows who is the chairman of the Whombledon tennis club (and dies very early on, spoiler alert!) and Ivan Borodl – a rough, tough Serbian tennis coach.
Kirsty – I play three different tennis players – the Serbian, Notta Damclu, the Swedish world number one, Ingrid Ergatson, and American doubles player, Jean Samson. I also play Wendy Weaver, a Whombledun official who tries to hold the club together once the murders start happening, as well as various police officers and of course a hedge…
Emile – And I play Hugh Knows, a work shy murder mystery fan who inherits a well renowned tennis tournament. Digby, who is giving his tennis career, one last push, Jon an American tennis celebrity who plays doubles with his wife but has a very short fuse and Helmut, a tennis player from Austria and a muscly one at that. But most importantly I also play a choral hedge dedicated to giving the audience, the story of Crimes on Centre Court via a barbershop quartet…
We’re intrigued about this hedge! If you could describe Crimes on Centre Court in three words what would they be?
Katriona – Joyous, dramatic and bloody.
Kirsty – Funny, fast and pun-ful!
Ben – Very very funny.
Emile – silly, tennis, hedge
So, are any of you tennis fans , murder mystery fans or both?
Ben – I used to love the Agatha Christie type Murder mysteries as a younger boy and grew up watching and reading them! I love tennis – it’s my second favourite sport after football and I follow Wimbledon and the big championships with a keen interest. I also play tennis fairly regularly with friends! (not that badly!)
Kirsty – I have always enjoyed watching tennis – it’s one of the only sports I understand scoring wise! When I was at school I would to watch Wimbledon on the TV and then play go off to try and play tennis (badly)! I was able to go to Centre Court at Wimbledon recently – that was a great experience. I enjoy Murder mysteries, trying to work out whodunnit is always fun. Although over the years of performing in a lot of them I feel I should be better at working that out!
Emile – Nope, afraid not, but don’t hold it against me – I love the show!
Katriona – I am now!
Finally, why do you think people should come and see Crimes on Centre Court?
Emile – It’s a show I’m really proud of. It’s energy packed with something for everyone whether you’re a murder, mystery fan, a tennis fan, or a fan of the comedy and the company…
Kirsty – It’s a show with a lot of heart and massive laughs and I promise that you won’t fail to leave the theatre with a smile on your face!
Katriona – It really will be a great night out full of belly laughs, chaos and deviously delicious drama.
Ben – It’s a great escape from the seriousness of everything that’s going on in the world right now. Come and laugh for a couple of hours at some silly nonsense & take your mind off things! And see if you can solve the murder too…
A 2022 Reviews Hub review praised the performers and Thornton’s physical comedy.
The show was scheduled for 3 and 4 November 2023, including a BSL-interpreted performance on 3 November.
See Buxton Opera House for its current programme.
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