Murder at the Pelican Club by Pauline Rowson a big hit with audience

Crime author Pauline Rowson's 1940 set murder mystery play, MURDER AT THE PELICAN CLUB performed by the Winterbourne Players, Bristol, from 22 to 24 November 2018 proved a smash hit with audiences.

The detective play, Murder At The Pelican Club, an exciting 1940s murder mystery in the vein of the classic crime thrillers of the 20th century, an Agatha Christie style detective drama had the audience playing sleuth. 

They were invited to guess ‘who done it’ between the acts which revolved around a wartime themed supper of corned beef hash and vegetable hash (for the vegetarians) followed by tin peaches and evaporated milk.  There were prizes for the table who came up with the culprit and the motive and although over the three nights performances some got close to guessing nobody actually did.  There was also a prize for the best 1940 costume.

Written with a touch of humour, the play takes place in the Pelican Nightclub and Restaurant in November 1940.  The Winterbourne Players, an amateur dramatics group, based in Winterbourne, Bristol, present two productions a year, one in May and a second in November at the Winterbourne Community Centre.

Author, Pauline Rowson joined the audience on the last night and presented the prizes.  She says, 'The Winterbourne Players put on a great show.  The audience sang along, ohhed and ahhed and laughed in the right places, all credit to the director, Michele English and the performers. It was thoroughly enjoyable and a very well done to the Winterbourne Players. Now they want to stage my next murder mystery play, so I had better hurry up and finish writing it.'

It's November 1940 and the blitz has been raging in London since 7 September 1940. Men up to the age of 27 have been called up, which means that gruff Inspector Doyle is still on the job because he's too old. Maisie Duncan and Tillie Trotman have volunteered to do their bit for the war effort. Maisie because she was stuck in a boring office job and wanted excitement, and Tillie because she thought she’d look fetching in a uniform and be sent where lots of men would idolize her. Instead they both get sent to the munitions works.

Before the play opens a lunch time talent concert has been organised in the munitions factory where Maisie and Tillie work. Tillie wins it and she’s immediately signed up by agent and impresario, Maxine Hunter. Catapulted to fame by radio appearances and concerts, Tillie is now a forces sweetheart. This is her last performance at the popular Pelican Club and Restaurant before travelling overseas to entertain the troops. Someone, though is intent on stopping her.

Pauline Rowson is the author of nineteen crime novels, fourteen featuring the rugged and flawed Inspector Andy Horton, three in the mystery thriller series featuring Art Marvik, a former Royal Marine Commando now an undercover investigator for the UK's National Intelligence Marine Squad, and two standalone thrillers.

Her latest crime novel, Dead Passage, number fourteen in the DI Andy Horton series was published in October.