CHESHAM Theatre Company chose this play adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs from the novel written by Terry Pratchett.

And the first time it has been performed in this area. Set in an old Opera House purporting to contain a ghost, there were strange gongs on which escalated into murder.

Add a couple of witches to the mix together with the Grim Reaper this made for a very interesting evening. The set was absolutely superb with the backdrop depicting the opera house stage, the mysterious box 8 to one side cleverly crafted complete with plush velvet curtains and a brilliant sparkling chandelier which swayed ominously during the tense moments there was much to keep the audience involved in the proceedings.

Directed by Trevor Pilling who had to work extremely hard to bring together such a large undertaking. With 14 scenes in the first half and 16 in the second it was a mammoth task. There were some very strong performances but with such a large cast it would be unfair to single anyone in particular out. The audience were a little slow to respond to the comedy elements but warmed up during the second half and the laughter rippled out.

The costumes and makeup were impressive and some of the scene changes were fantastic. My only criticism was that an 11pm finish was rather late and with a little clever tweaking this could have bee avoided.