Detour Theatre's latest production of Agatha Christie's ‘A Murder is Announced' is a real whodunit that'll intrigue audiences and keep them guessing until the penny drops.

The tale follows the villagers of Chipping Cleghorn and the indomitable Miss Marple. Her curiosities are piqued when an advertisement announcing a murder is set to take place appears in the local gazette.

Directed by Kim Williamson, sophistication is a hallmark of this production and can be seen in the ‘prim and proper' efforts of the 11 actors, the attention to detail in the set, and the beautiful costumes which adorn the cast.

Linda Lawson portrays a wonderfully likeable but shrewd Miss Marple. She evolves through the show, quiet and assuming at the beginning but really comes into her own at the end.

A real standout for me was Melissa Osgood as Letitia Blacklock, who performed with elegance and her command and presence on the stage is a joy to watch.

Solid performances from the likes of Geoff Herd as Inspector Craddock, Mikayla Williamson and Ryan Wood as Julia and Patrick Simmons, and Susan Sorrell as Dora Dunner added a wonderful dose of intrigue and contrast to the show.

I also tip my hat to Liv Borrie as Phillipa Haymes, Cullen Waterson as Edmund Swettenham, Amanda Blyth-Cowman as Mrs Swettenham and Richard Burkett as Sergeant Mellors/Rudi Scherz who all deliver fine performances.

And at times when it all got a little too ‘sensible' and awfully British, Alex Gilmour as Mitzi would burst on the stage like a Hungarian whirlwind, changing the energy completely which I adored.

‘A Murder is Announced' is definitely driven by the dialogue and the characters, so you do need to pay attention. But the payoff is certainly worth the effort.

Detour Theatre present ‘A Murder is Announced' which is on stage until July 2. For more information, visit: www.detour.co.nz