Reading University Drama Society's darkly comic new play Alfred Hitchcock’s Writers’ Room is a hilarious melodramatic parody on the whole genre of murder and suspense films.
Set in 1961 in Los Angeles, a young girl is found in the river and a rookie detective (Luke Cox) is sent to investigate.
Meanwhile, four writers have been assembled to write plays for Alfred Hitchcock in his writing room; the only problem is that he’s in London.
What follows is a clever pastiche as each writer reveals his or her murder story in “scripts for Hitch”.
Kevin (Thomas Sparrow) is the refined, dedicated author who has a dark secret. His plot is about killing his Aunt Sarah who didn’t send him a birthday card or present.
Scott (Conor Field) is the rather camp chap who plays many of the female roles and is caught up in a love triangle and his story is a horror film about the worse way to die.
Lila (Rebecca Penn) tells her story in flashback and keeps a diary that incriminates her in her decision to murder.
Finally, Jess Davies is the sardonic writer Maya with a script that appears to be unbelievable.
But will the detective be able to find the real killer and is the murderer one of the writers in the room and if so whom and will true love be proclaimed?
This is a laugh-out-loud romp filled with madcap humour and is highly enjoyable.