A Judgement in Stone was one of those touring productions that I might have avoided had it not been at a very convenient theatre and had I not got an ATG Card that gave me a discount on the ticket price; but then that is the point in living near theatres and in having a discount card.
The main attraction of this play was in bold letters on the poster, the name Ruth Rendell. She is well known for her thriller fiction which includes the Inspector Wexford series.
The play opened with the police at the scene of the deaths of a family of four at their grand country home, it sounded something like a former manor house and was in the Gothic style with lots of wood panelling. It reminded me of Liberty.
A police investigation was in progress with the family of four all murdered. Suicide was ruled out by the position of the weapons (in another room) but there could have been more than one murderer and one of the murderers could also have been murdered.
Still alive to help the police with their enquiries was an odd assortment of house keepers, gardeners and other people from the village. Unable to help the police was a woman seriously injured in a car accident on the same night as the murders.
The story was gradually revealed through the police interviews and through flashbacks to relevant events. As expected, these uncovered a multitude of jealousies, suspicions, rivalries, criminalities and murderous possibilities. It was all nicely crafted and when we finally found out who done it, and why, I was genuinely surprised. I was also entertained along the way.
A Judgement In Stone was a neat story neatly presented and I was perfectly happy with that.
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