A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

'But Why Bump Off Barnaby?'

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  6w, 4m

This lunatic show poses a fascinating mystery. When Barnaby Folcey is murdered at a family gathering at Marlgate Manor, it transpires that he had a motive to murder everybody else, but no one had a reason to want him dead.

'But Why Bump Off Barnaby?'

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 4m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce, Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary
This lunatic show poses a fascinating mystery. When Barnaby Folcey is murdered at a family gathering at Marlgate Manor, it transpires that he had a motive to murder everybody else, but no one had a reason to want him dead. While dying, he scrawled the letters "b-a-r," which can implicate everyone. While the bizarre group frantically tries to unmask the murderer, people vanish, poison is found in the sherry, and the police take forever to arrive. Meanwhile, there's a secret treasure to be found, a mystifying limerick to decode, and all sorts of doom to be avoided before the killer is finally unmasked and destroyed using one of the funniest methods ever seen on a stage.

MEDKINS - a serenely capable butler
MAGNOLIA - a very apprehensive maid
ORION LEDUC - an arthritic British baronet
BARNABY FOLCEY - a poor relation of the Leducs
LADY BARBARA FENWICK - a rather deaf peeress
ROSALIND BARSTOW - a flamboyant fortune-hunter
CLEO BARTON - a middle-aged Hollywood actress
JEFF BARNETT- an intrepid police reporter
MISS BARNSDALE - an old nearsighted family governess
DORA DUNSTOCK - an adorable young dimwit

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting The parlor of Marlgate, the ancestral home of the Leducs.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Special Effects
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

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Authors

Rick Abbot

Rick Abbot is one of several pen names for prolific playwright Jack Sharkey (1931-1992). Mr. Sharkey was born on May 6, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois. He began writing when he was 10 years old. He graduated from college with a BA in Creative Writing and taught school from 1953 to ...
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