THE SOUND OF MURDER Begins Performances This Week At Theatre 40

Theatre Forty, in the Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Theatre 40 is Beverly Hills' professional theatre company. The venue is located on the campus of Beverly Hills High School. There is ample free parking beneath the theatre, which can be accessed from the intersection of Durant and Moreno Drives.

March 14- April 14, 2019. Thurs.-Sat. at 8:00, Sun. at 2:00. Except for the performance on Friday, March 15, when the show will begin at 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day), the performance will begin at 4:00 p.m. ADMISSION: $35, RESEVATIONS: (310) 364-0535, ONLINE TICKETING: www.theatre40.org

The Sound of Murder is exactly the kind of British murder mystery that Theatre 40 audiences have come to gleefully anticipate each season. It's full of dark, nasty fun.

Charles Norbury is a wildly successful author of children's books. He hates children, and pretty much anyone else, too. He's petty, cruel, vindictive, and treats his unloved wife like a slave. He also refuses to have children with her. In short, he's the sort of fellow who would make the world a better place if only he would just die.

Anne, the wife, has found some solace in the arms of her handsome lover, Peter. Charles won't grant her a divorce: It would damage him professionally with the parents of his juvenile fans.

The one person who has real regard for Charles is his loyal secretary, Miss Forbes. She is infatuated with Peter.

Anne and Peter deduce that the only way they will ever be to be together forever is if they kill Charles. They come up with a scheme to effect his murder. But things just don't go according to plan.....

The plot of The Sound of Murder has more twists and turns than the Arroyo Parkway. Surprise follows surprise, and you'll be kept guessing as to what exactly the heck is going on until the very end.

The cast of The Sound of Murder includes Roslyn Cohn, Gabriel Oliva, David Hunt Stafford, Peter Trencher, David Westbay and Kate Whitney.

Adrian Neil directs. He has appeared on stage at Theatre 40 in Educating Rita and Separate Tables. His many other stage appearances range from Alfie at the MET Theatre in Hollywood to Spock in Star Trek at Bromley Theatre (U.K.) He's also been seen in film (Ocean's 13, Bruce Almighty) and on TV (State of Grace, iCarly, 24, Castle, more). The native of Manchester, England graduated with honors from Leeds University.

William Fairchild (1918-2000) is the playwright. His other plays include Act of Violence, The Payoff, Murder by Numbers, Poor Horace, Breaking Point and Wonderland. He was also a prolific screenwriter: His best-known American film is Star!, with Julie Andrews playing Gertrude Lawrence. He also wrote and directed for television (Disneyland, The Four Just Men, The Third Man, more). Also an actor, he appeared on the TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm shortly before his death.

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