To Kill A Hadeda & Crows

The Masque is excited to present an evening of murder mystery with two live-stage audio drama murder mysteries, 'To Kill a Hadeda' and 'Crows'.

You'll witness two 40-minute audio dramas as voice actors and a foley artist conjure up a radio play before your very eyes.

TO KILL A HADEDA

Get ready for a hilariously dark, razor-sharp reflection of modern South Africa where the only thing louder than the gossip is the local birdlife. TO KILL A HADEDA strips away the pristine, manicured veneer of luxury estate living to expose the chaotic underbelly of elite suburban dread. When a tyrannical body corporate chairperson is found dead, a high-strung security estate goes into lockdown, forcing the eccentric community to root out the killer before the police arrive. This murder mystery comedy is written by Matthew Kalil and stars Brett Fish Anderson, Charles Tertiens, Jana Coetzee and Shirley Johnston.

CROWS

Prepare for a tense, moving and unexpectedly sharp look into grief and survival on the fringes of Cape Town. CROWS strips away the quiet, meditative peace of a wetland sanctuary to expose the raw, colliding worlds of two strangers trapped in their own personal storms. When a grieving widow's quest for solace is shattered by a desperate young man's arrival, a secluded bird hide becomes a pressure cooker of dark secrets and shared trauma. As their confessions intertwine, a dark omen gathers across the water, heralded by crows. This darkly comic murder mystery is written by Ian-Malcolm Rijsdijk and stars Shirley Johnston and Charles Tertiens.

More information: TO KILL A HADEDA

Setting: The pristine, manicured lawns of Avignon Security Estate. Present day.

Synopsis: Behind the secure gates of a luxury security estate, the body corporate chairperson is found dead with a pair of hedge clippers sticking out of her chest. For Jan, an ex-SANDF officer turned security guard, this means total lockdown. For the residents - an eccentric mix of elite oddballs, celebrities and nature lovers - it means their darkest secrets are about to be evicted. As the informal investigation heats up and the finger-pointing begins, one thing is clear: the killer is still inside the perimeter.

Directors: Matthew Kalil, Stephen Aspeling

Written by Matthew Kalil

Story by Matthew Kalil & Stephen Aspeling

Stars: Brett Fish Anderson, Charles Tertiens, Jana Coetzee and Shirley Johnston

More information: CROWS

Setting: An isolated bird hide in the wetland wilderness of Rondevlei nature reserve. Present day.

Synopsis: Daphne Dingle is mourning the loss of her husband, Lenny. She goes to her favourite bird hide in Cape Town to reminisce about their lives together and, hopefully, to spot a rare vagrant bird. Dawid, a young man from Pelikan Park is dealing with his own issues and comes to the same hide for some time away from his troubles. As their conversation develops, they reveal more of their lives. Meanwhile, across the vlei, crows and ravens begin to gather.

Directors: Matthew Kalil, Stephen Aspeling, Ian-Malcolm Rijsdijk

Written by Ian-Malcolm Rijsdijk

Stars: Shirley Johnston & Charles Tertiens