MARCO Players who have a reputation for bringing new and entertaining theatre to audiences will be staging an intriguing thriller next week.

Audience With Murder, written by Roger Leach and Colin Wakefield (two professional actors turned playwrights), was first produced for the Edinburgh Festival in 2004 and subsequently had a very successful run at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre.

What starts as a seemingly innocuous play read-through in a suburban living room, turns into a classic murder mystery.

Audience With Murder has struck a chord with audiences who - rather like the Mousetrap - kept what actually happens, a closely guarded secret.

Ian Taylor will be direecting his first production with Marco Players.

He said: “This is my first time directing with The Marco Players and, as someone with a personal interest in the whole thriller genre, it’s a real pleasure to be asked to direct such a quirky, multi-layered play.

“I guarantee it’s going to keep the audience on their toes.”

Julie Hall makes a welcome return to the Marco Stage taking the role of Sue Downing, the put-upon housewife who has written a play for her local drama group (which her husband runs). As the evening unfolds though, it becomes apparent that her motive isn’t entirely artistic.

“It’s a great role,” says Julie, “and has really allowed me to flex my dramatic muscles again. I can’t say too much about my character though, as it would give the game away!”

Richard Leigh plays Alan Downing her thoroughly unlikeable husband.

“I don’t think I’ve been in a thriller before,” he notes, “so for my first one to be something as truly original as this is quite an experience!”

Joel Cheetham, another recent returnee to the Marco fold, plays Dean Ackerman, a keen young amateur actor who has been invited to take part in the play reading.

“I’d love to explain my character’s motivation and story – but I can’t,” he said. “Just come along and see what happens, I guarantee you’ll be surprised.”

Louise Davenport completes this four-hander and steps onto the Marco stage for the first time (although she is of course a very experienced actress with a number of other societies across the town).

“I couldn’t have wished for a more original play to join my friends at Marco on stage,” she said.”When I read it I wasn’t quite prepared for how wrong-footed I’d feel at the end.”

Audience With Murder runs from Wednesday, February 26 to Saturday, February 29 at Stepping Stones Nursery, Chorley Old Road, Bolton. For tickets visit www.themarcoplayers.net or email tickets@marcoplayers.org or ring 01204 294401 / 07756 510462