Next Stage Press

What happens when you cross Agatha Christie with Monty Python? You get The Party – a sort of drawing room murder mystery set in a posh London apartment where everyone is either named Richard or Mildred, which adds to the sheer madness. Richard and Mildred have planned this amazing dinner party for all of their best friends, but did Mildred send out the invitations? Too late to worry about that now. When Richard, a neighbor and uninvited guest, shows up in a tux and feigns ignorance of the party all hell breaks loose resulting in the unfortunate shooting death of the crasher. Or is he dead? When no one else shows up for this spectacular event, Richard and Mildred decide to head off into the night, leaving poor Richard’s body lying on their floor covered in a tablecloth. After Richard and Mildred leave for the evening, their best friend Mildred shows up, discovers the body, screams, and calls the police. Upon their return from a night on the town, Richard and Mildred discover that Richard’s body is no longer under the tablecloth. Where did it go? To help unravel this mystery, the police arrive in the form of Lieutenant Richards, and Richard and Mildred’s two best friends, Richard and Mildred, show up to lend their support. The play careens along until everyone is dead and the bodies have piled up like so much fire wood. But is everyone dead? Does this play ever end, or does it just start over?