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Death by Design
What happens when you mix the brilliant wit of Noel Coward with the intricate plotting of Agatha Christie? Set during a weekend in an English country manor in 1932, Death by Design is a delightful and mysterious "mash-up" of two of the greatest English writers of all time. Edward Bennett, a playwright, and his wife Sorel Bennett, an actress, flee London and head to Cookham after a disastrous opening night. But various guests arrive unexpectedly - a conservative politician, a fiery sociali
- GenresPlays
78 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 5, 2023
Let's be real here. This play has very little going for it. The characters are one note, the motive and motivation throughout is non-existent, and honestly it's worst crime is just that it's also not very funny. There are one or two good bits in there and if you presented this for a college you're sure it get a solid B-. 2/10
November 19, 2023
I was auditioning to play Eric with my drama group. Some excellent scenes with a lot of witty humour!
Brilliant and funny play - I’m directing it now instead of playing Eric.
Brilliant and funny play - I’m directing it now instead of playing Eric.
May 31, 2024
0/5
At the present I am in this play for a school production. I find myself always type cast as a 'Kind, gentle, sweet and shy' girl. I am not like this at all. I think you can see where I'm going; I was cast as Alice. The painfully bland naïve young woman who easily forgives a man who takes her for granted, and as she states, broke her heart.
I am not a fan of this genre. I love murder mysteries, don't get me wrong. But that's not what I am referring to. I am talking of Melodramas. They tend to be painfully over done, and in the end one can't connect the the characters because it strays from realistic actions and expressions.
Not only was this badly written, but it was also awfully blocked. In imagination the actions seem stilted and not natural, giving it a very amateur vibe.
The character I play, Alice, I just can't seem to wrap my mind around her. She is quiet, shy, nervous and sweet. Yet, she's able to kill? Able to murder Walter for the man she loves that treats her like shit? I really am not agreeable to this character. Also, why on earth didn't she wear her glasses when trying to kill Walter??? Alice has very poor eyes and owns glasses because of that. But she never wears them because they make her look 'ugly'. Then why did she have them in her bag in the first place if she wouldn't wear them? Illogical.
Every single character is a cliché. No one is original, it's actually straining to read.
Some melodramas are good, and they are meant to be overdramatic, but this one is too hammed up. It's as if Rob Urbinati doesn't know how to write a play. Scratch that, they can't write a play.
Can someone please tell me what the point of it is? What's the moral pf the story? It's classified as a murder mystery, but SPOILER: Walter doesn't actually die???! There is no point to the play, it really makes no sense.
This review might be a bit harsh, I agree. But you write a crappy play= getting a crappy review.
Edit: It's also meant to be a comedy? ha! no. The jokes were non-existent and young. Meant for all ages but only funny for little children. Maybe not even then.
At the present I am in this play for a school production. I find myself always type cast as a 'Kind, gentle, sweet and shy' girl. I am not like this at all. I think you can see where I'm going; I was cast as Alice. The painfully bland naïve young woman who easily forgives a man who takes her for granted, and as she states, broke her heart.
I am not a fan of this genre. I love murder mysteries, don't get me wrong. But that's not what I am referring to. I am talking of Melodramas. They tend to be painfully over done, and in the end one can't connect the the characters because it strays from realistic actions and expressions.
Not only was this badly written, but it was also awfully blocked. In imagination the actions seem stilted and not natural, giving it a very amateur vibe.
The character I play, Alice, I just can't seem to wrap my mind around her. She is quiet, shy, nervous and sweet. Yet, she's able to kill? Able to murder Walter for the man she loves that treats her like shit? I really am not agreeable to this character. Also, why on earth didn't she wear her glasses when trying to kill Walter??? Alice has very poor eyes and owns glasses because of that. But she never wears them because they make her look 'ugly'. Then why did she have them in her bag in the first place if she wouldn't wear them? Illogical.
Every single character is a cliché. No one is original, it's actually straining to read.
Some melodramas are good, and they are meant to be overdramatic, but this one is too hammed up. It's as if Rob Urbinati doesn't know how to write a play. Scratch that, they can't write a play.
Can someone please tell me what the point of it is? What's the moral pf the story? It's classified as a murder mystery, but SPOILER: Walter doesn't actually die???! There is no point to the play, it really makes no sense.
This review might be a bit harsh, I agree. But you write a crappy play= getting a crappy review.
Edit: It's also meant to be a comedy? ha! no. The jokes were non-existent and young. Meant for all ages but only funny for little children. Maybe not even then.
February 4, 2025
I found this play quite amusing and think it could be absolutely brilliant to stage!
There is not a lot of substance to this play, so if you want hard-hitting or thought-provoking, this is not for you. But if you want something frivolous and airy, something that takes your mind off the monotony and heartache of the world, this play is fantastic.
The characters are two-dimensional caricatures of people, and the plot is massively contrived, but it's a joy. I imagine Carey Grant as Edward with his straight-man's delivery of some hilarious lines. A great play to read in the dreariness of January.
There is not a lot of substance to this play, so if you want hard-hitting or thought-provoking, this is not for you. But if you want something frivolous and airy, something that takes your mind off the monotony and heartache of the world, this play is fantastic.
The characters are two-dimensional caricatures of people, and the plot is massively contrived, but it's a joy. I imagine Carey Grant as Edward with his straight-man's delivery of some hilarious lines. A great play to read in the dreariness of January.
November 30, 2017
Incredibly boring. You have to really hone in on the jokes in order to get a laugh out of it.
April 18, 2020
British accents, idioms and locations, but can be americanized-- maybe even californiaized. Waltz record on player skips. Lots of barbed banter about domestic fights. Hilarious modern dance interpretation of tree v wall. Blackout scene that can be done with high-backed sofa hiding action. Sophisticated dialogue. Lots of good characters of indiscriminate age. Save for another year-- same time frame and costumes as BLOODY MURDER.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews