A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Out of Sight... Out of Murder

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  5w, 4m

In this laugh-a-minute thriller, mystery writer Peter Knight discovers that his characters have come to life. When one of them winds up dead, Peter wonders if he’ll be the murderer’s next victim. Laughs and chills abound as he races to unmask the killer before it’s too late.

Out of Sight... Out of Murder

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 4m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Suggested Use
    • Cutting Approved for Competition
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Peter Knight is grinding out a murder story in an old mansion where another author was murdered years before. A weird electrical storm effects a cosmic snafu and his characters come to life. There’s the lovely ingenue, the trusty butler, a feisty character woman, a dauntless hero, a fascinating “other woman,” the always pregnant serving girl, and the wily lawyer waiting for midnight to read the will. Peter loses control of his characters, and there is a murder; the intended victim is Peter. Other murders follow, and the culprit is among characters who, having also worked for other authors, know a great deal about the subject. Can Peter find the killer before the killer gets his author? Is romance with the ingenue leading anywhere? Where is the fortune mentioned in the will? All is solved ingeniously with romance, suspense and cosmic wit.

History

Out of Sight... Out of Murder was first performed by the Valley Players in Waitsfield, Vermont in 1983. Directed by Curtis Wright, the production featured Huck Davies as Peter Knight.

PETER KNIGHT
MINNA
LYDIA
CORBURN
KAY KELSEY
FIONA
ADDIE
DICK STANTON
JORDAN DILLINGHAM

  • Time Period Present Day, 1980s
  • Setting

    The living room of an old house in Vermont. Summer. The present or recent past.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Uproariously funny.“ – Greenwich Press Post

“Refreshing, witty parody.” – Sharon Patroit Leader

“Full of laughs… absorbing and entertaining.” – Times Argus, Montpelier

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Fred Carmichael

Fred Carmichael (1924-2009) was born in Pelham, N.Y., on Feb. 1, 1924, son of Cyril and Edith Nichols Carmichael. He married the former Patricia Wyn Rose in 1952, and together they spent a lifetime devoted to the theatre.

Fred began his career in the theatre as an actor in his ...

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