Photos: First Look At STRICTLY MURDER At Hampton Theatre Company

“Strictly Murder,” a WW2-era thriller from prolific playwright/screenwriter/producer Brian Clemens, premieres this spring as part of the Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season, with performances running from March 7 through March 24 at the Quogue Community Hall.  See photos from the production. 

Originally produced in the UK at The Mill at Sonning in February 2006, “Strictly Murder” is set in 1939 in Provence, France, where an English couple, Peter and Suzy, are living in idyllic isolation, far from the rumblings of the coming world war. Their peace is shattered when Suzy discovers she’s been betrayed: Peter is not the man he claims to be, and in fact may be a ruthless killer on the run. When a Scotland Yard detective named Ross arrives, events become even more complicated and frightening. Lies, subterfuge and murder make this fast-paced thriller a dark and disturbing roller coaster of bluff … and double bluff. 

“Strictly Murder” showcases the formidable talents of Brian Clemens (1931-2015), the English writer and producer whose career in television, film and the theater spanned 60 years. Perhaps best-known for his creative contributions to the long-running British TV series “The Avengers,” Clemens enjoyed international success with U.S. TV series like “Remington Steele,” “Diagnosis: Murder” and “Highlander: The Series.”

Among the many films he contributed to as a writer and producer are: “See No Evil,” “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad,” “The Watcher in the Woods” and “Highlander 2: The Quickening.” Notable theatre productions include “Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution,” “All About Murder,” “Inside Job” and “Murder Hunt.” 

The five-member cast of “Strictly Murder” is led by three actors who have collectively appeared in more than two dozen Hampton Theatre Company productions. Matthew Conlon (“The Lifespan of a Fact,” “Private Lives,” “Man of La Mancha”) portrays Ross, a detective from Scotland Yard; Scott Hofer (“The Boys Next Door”) is Josef, the furtive, rough-hewn neighbor and protector to Peter and Suzy; and Catherine Maloney (“Over the River and Through the Woods,” “Sylvia”) plays Miriam, Ross’s intimidating colleague. Rounding out the cast are two talented actors making their HTC debuts: Dayne Rasmussen as the cryptic UK exile Peter, and Ashley Underwood as his long-suffering companion Suzy.

Directing “Strictly Murder” after a three-decade hiatus from HTC is Mary Powers. Set design is by Mary Powers, Meg Sexton and Ricky Bottenus; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Meg Sexton; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.

Tickets and More Information

Performances of “Strictly Murder" will run from March 7 through March 24 on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered during the final weekend of the production, on Saturday, March 23, at 2:30, prior to the regular 8 p.m. performance that evening.

Two “talkbacks” with the cast will be offered to ticketholders immediately following the March 15 and March 22 Friday-evening performances. 

Tickets are $36, $31 for seniors, and $20 for students 25 and under, and are available at the Hampton Theatre Company website at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955. For information on group ticket sales, contact HTC General Manager Terry Brennan at 631-653-8955. 

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