Written by Stuart Ardern
Directed by Allan Coombs

'Miss Glossop's Weekend' is a well written comedy/murder mystery set in a small family run hotel. The suitably shabby set and diverse staff and clientele kept our attention throughout.

Stephen Forster, as hotelier Alan Kennett, was professional and funny as he held the play together with his relaxed style and Jane Dale played a wonderfully frumpy Miss Glossop, whose detection skills fell well short of Miss Marple as she failed to identify the real killer. Anita Prior was excellent as the dippy Mrs Jarvis, and with her constantly reminding everyone that she 'used to be in a circus' showed us at the end that she was the not so dippy Deadly Desiree the knife thrower. Mrs Jarvis was in cahoots with Margaret Kennett played by Carol Beddingfield, the dastardly wife who had set up her husband's murder and finally let us in on the obvious but very funny twist at the end. Poor Derek, played by the ever consistent Dominic Clifford, got the rap for the murder. His secretary/lover Linda literally had to perform acrobatics and Nicki Tindale who played her, showed that even her feet can act. David Rae showed his versatility and very good French accent as the explosive chef Jean-Pierre Montand. The rest of the cast, Geoff Rushton as Detective Sergeant Watkins and Sonia the waitress and general love interest, played by Emily Magennis-Prior supported well, to give a thoroughly enjoyable performance. Well done to first time director Alan Coombs.

Well done to all the backstage crew for a most memorable and entertaining evening.
[Nita Simpson]

'Miss Glossop's Weekend' by the Medstead Players presented to a near capacity audience. Alan Kennet played by Steven Forster, an apparently bland hotelier with a well characterised wife Margaret played by Carol Beddingfield set the tone for expectations of wickedness with dalliance in reception with Sonia the waitress, Emily Magennis-Prior. Miss Glossop, Jane Dale a righteous, bothersome frequent guest gave the play a past as well as a present. She ran a continuous vein through the usual hotel type characters. Mrs Jarvis, Anita Prior, gave a good portrayal of a batty lady with a past. The protocol conscious detective Sargent Watkins, Geoff Rushton and the inevitable couple Dominic Clifford as Derek and Nikki Tindale as his girlfriend Linda, who were not what they were supposed to be, added to the performance. The truly believable chef Jean Pierre, David Rae and his Gaelic accent and temperament reinforced the hotel image. The director Alan Coombs guided the production towards a murder very ably and correctly. The ending had a most unexpected but well achieved twist.
[Jean Laidlaw]