Written by our own Pat Riley, and directed by Mike Andrews, our 2024 Murder Mystery was another great success with full audiences and a whopping £2,900 raised in support of our parent charity, the Adel War Memorial Association. Much fun was had unravelling some fiendish cues, as well as tucking into the catering very kindly laid on by the Badminton Section. As one patron said: "Hugely entertaining and what a brilliant way to raise money." Many thanks to all concerned and as usual, please see below for more on the production along with some pictures kindly supplied by our member, Tony Zigmond.

Is there “trouble at ‘t mill”? No, but all is not well post-Covid at fitness training company TykeSport Ltd. Its gyms are losing money, its home fitness trainers are working in the community with no supervision, and the angry directors are quarelling among themselves about what should be done. When a management consultant brought in by TykeSport’s Company Secretary finds evidence that fitness trainer Zak Starling has been falsifying his pay and expenses claims, his famous detective novelist mother Susan fights to clear his name. When shortly afterwards Zak is accused of murder, West Yorkshire police have no interest in allowing Susan to help them investigate the crime. Should the police have listened to Susan, or is there a lot more to this situation than meets the eye? 

Our thanks to Jenny Jones for this review of the evening's entertainment:

Murder? In Adel?

Adel Players presented “Susan Starling Investigates” by Pat Riley

We went on the Saturday night, the big hall at AWMH was filled, the noise was incredible until Mike Andrews stepped onto the stage, a hush fell, as he announced the format of the evening. Mike played Sir Harold Mawson, retired Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, as he recounted the story of a murder on Stairfoot Lane, Adel.

The action takes place in the Boardroom of TykeSport Ltd, a fitness training company, where two warring factions, brothers Malcolm and Stephen, together with Malcolm’s wife Zoe are arguing about how to move the business forward. There is disagreement over how the company has never picked up since Covid, with only 20% usage, so Malcolm and Zoe have set up a subsidiary company supplying adulterated substances, bought cheaply from abroad, re-labelled and packaged, and sold at great profit. So, when it is suggested that a management consultant is brought in to look at the business they panic.  

Millie Redmond is a young consultant who comes in, Zoe and Malcolm try to belittle her because of her age and inexperience, but she has more insight than they realise.  The company Chairman Sir Clifford Starling also comes into this, as he shouts and blusters at Millie about the nonsense of investigating the company. 

There have been complaints about Stephen’s inappropriate remarks and that he hangs around the female changing rooms, and he’s been threatened with the police being involved.

Sir Clifford lives on King Lane with his daughter, Susan Starling, writer of crime fiction, and her son Zak; Zak hasn’t led an entirely blameless life, but is attempting to make a go of his job and to avoid him being involved in all the family disputes, his mother tells him to get a taxi to his girlfriend’s in Seacroft and keep out of the way. He was accused of falsifying some accounting, claiming non-existent clients, but being badly dyslexic, he said  it was beyond his capabilities. Zoe’s bank records are questioned; money going in and out of her account nightly, the original amount paid back. Is it money laundering, crypto currency or what?

Then tragedy strikes! Millie Redmond has been mown down on Stairfoot Lane by a car matching the description of Zak’s; the police declare it to be murder, a deliberate attempt to silence her. But, whodunnit?

The audience were left to act as judge and jury, working as tables whilst we ate our delicious supper. It was so cleverly written by Pat Riley, as ever using local place references, not least in Susan Starling’s books, the one which got the biggest laugh was “The Werewolves of Weetwood”! Pat wove such an intricate web that we had to untangle, little clues dropped through the play. We all thought it was Clifford, until we remembered he didn’t drive. It was superb, so much that no team got it right. Pat Riley, you are a genius, you fooled us all! All the acting was so professional, they did the script justice . Well done Adel Players!

Jenny Jones