Mystery at Magpie Manor

Today the children from Years 3 and 4 presented the Mystery at Magpie Manor for their parents. It was a truly fabulous production which had the audience laughing throughout.

The children took us back in time to the 1920s, to Magpie Manor, the home of Lord and Lady Pica. Unfortunately Lord and Lady Pica had fallen on hard times and could not afford the extensive repairs that were required for the Manor. Mr Fortune - the bank manger - recommended that they sell their last remaining asset - The Pica Pica Solid Silver Pitcher with a Magpie Picture  - to fund the repairs.

The family agreed to host a Grand Ball, featuring an auction, to raise as much as possible from The Pica Pica Solid Silver Pitcher with a Magpie Picture.  Scribble and Blot (Mr Fortune's bumbling assistants) were tasked with guarding the pitcher. The guest list featured a number of celebrities including Winston Churchill, the Prince of Wales, Einstein and Charlie Chaplin.  

During the Grand Ball, guests were astounded to find that The Pica Pica Solid Silver Pitcher with a Magpie Picture had vanished!!! Ex-Inspector Spectre, who had been hired to lead secuirty, took it upon himself to launch an investigation. Another guest - Agatha Christie - also decided to investigate, much to the Ex-Inspector's irritation! 

After checking alibis of both housestaff and guests, nothing was any clearer until the gardener Basil Bud appeared with two bags he had found in the moat. One of the bags contained the missing Pica Pica Solid Silver Pitcher with a Magpie Picture to the horror of the assembled housestaff and guests. Agatha Christie was clever enough to notice that the bag was tied with one of the Ex-Inspector's handmade ties he had so proudly displayed to everyone. She also revealed that he was NOT the Ex-Inspector but was actually long-lost cousin Percy Pica who had come to lay claim to the pitcher as his inheritence. This information was greeted with a loud gasp as everyone realised the true enormity of the situation!  Percy Pica was then arrested.

When the second sack was checked, a Medieval hoard of jewellery was inside! This was valuable enough to fund the full repairs of the manor as well as getting Lord and Lady Pica out of financial difficulty! Hooray for this find, jobs were safe and the party continued.

The production was a true theatrical masterpiece. Every member of the cast excelled and there was a hall full of proud parents. Thank you and well done goes to everyone involved but especially to Mr Gould and Mrs Jenkins for the blood, sweat and tears they shed to bring the whole thing together!