A Murder Is Announced: Debra Lawrance as Letitia Blacklock
There is something so engaging about a well written ‘whodunit’ play – the intrigue, the suspense and the unravelling of a twisted and tangled plot right before our very eyes! Get ready, Sydney – an Agatha Christie mystery is in store!
Following the success of The Mousetrap across the country in 2012, producers Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick are bringing Agatha Christie’s tangled, mysterious tales back to the stage with A Murder Is Announced this month.
Set to open at Sydney Theatre on September 27, A Murder Is Announced is the very first Miss Marple mystery ever dramatised, and we wanted to introduce the cast and characters ahead of opening night!
Today we feature Debra Lawrance who will star as LETITIA BLACKLOCK…
Letitia Blacklock is the owner of Little Paddocks, a grand Victorian house in the quiet English village of Chipping Cleghorn, where residents are agog with curiosity over an advertisement in the local gazette which reads: ‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 13th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30p.m. Letitia, a lady of rural refinement, seems to be a collector of several lost causes – all of whom seem to lodge in her large house. Is it a childish practical joke? Or a hoax intended to scare somebody? Unable to resist the mysterious invitation, a crowd begins to gather at Little Paddocks at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out, a gun is fired and a body falls. It’s clear that this is no game. What has has brought murder to Letitia’s home?
DEBRA LAWRANCE
Debra graduated from NIDA in 1977 and has worked successfully in theatre, film and television since.
The highlights of her extensive television work include the role of Maggie, Ned Kelly’s sister in the Channel Seven mini-series The Last Outlaw; the lead role of Pat in the ABC comedy series The Fast Lane and the role for which she is perhaps best known – the kindly foster mother Pippa in the long-running series Home and Away. This was followed by the role of Reverend Grace on Blue Heelers. Debra’s most recent TV work includes the role of Rose in Josh Thomas’ critically acclaimed series Please like Me.
Debra’s film highlights include Silver City, Two Brothers Running with Tom Conti and Evil Angels with Meryl Streep. Her most recent film work was the highly regarded The Jammed.
Having worked extensively in theatre, Debra’s return to the stage is much anticipated. A member of the MEAA (Actor’s Equity Union) for 36 years, Debra married her Home and Away co-star Dennis Coard in 1992; they have two children, Grace (20) and William (13) and live in rural bliss east of Melbourne.
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED
SYDNEY
The Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay
September 27 – October 27
$75 – $120
W: sydneytheatre.org.au or ticketmaster.com.au
