Presented by In Theatre and Theatre Onset, Shades Of Black is a murder mystery that is sure to surprise you. 

While Lady Peacock (Tia Fereti) knows about her husband Colonel Mustard’s (Ros Love-Myers) long-running affair with Lady Maria Black (Indigo Walker), it is not until the night of the masked ball that things get nasty.

The ball is abruptly cut short when one of the guests is found dead.

Then, when secrets and affairs are revealed, the tension escalates where lust and intrigue go hand in hand with innocence and a killer is hunted down. Who can you believe? The police are called in and the nastiness begins. 

Shades Of Black is an original whodunnit, written by ex-Bega Valley student and In Theatre alumnus, Madeleine Stocker. 

It is a classic detective story set in the 1920s and based on the popular game Cluedo. 

The play is produced by Mahamati for Theatre Onset, performed by the students of In Theatre, which is Theatre Onset's youth arm, and co-directed by Mahamati and David Stocker.

Mahamati said the cast comprises of nine students in Years 8-12 from Bega High School and the Sapphire Coast Anglican College with some coming from as far away as Bermagui and Cobargo for rehearsals.

“They have been working very hard,” Mahamati said. 

“Their skill level is getting much better.” 

Ms Stocker said it will be the second time the play is performed, as it was first on stage six years ago after she wrote the piece for the members of In Theatre at the time. 

“It came from playing Cluedo with my family, as we thought it would be funny to make a play out of,” she said. 

“It’s a black comedy, so it’s funny but people die.” 

With a brilliant cast that showcases some of the best of the Bega Valley’s amazing young talent and produced by the highly experienced crew of Theatre Onset, this play will have you hooked from the first moment to the last.

The play will run on October 27, 28 and 29 from 7.30pm in Funhouse Studio at 3 Hill St, Bega. 

Tickets at the door are $20 adults, $10 students and $45 family.  The play is suitable for ages 10 and above.

Meanwhile, auditions were held for Footprint Theatre’s next major production, Audience with Murder by Roger Leach and Colin Wakefield, on Wednesday. 

If you could not make it, but wanted to be considered for a role or for a crew position contact director Graham Brown at graham_brown01@bigpond.com. 

He was looking for four actors in their 20s or 50s to perform this murder mystery, scheduled for performance in March/April 2017.