When the lights dim and the bell rings the audience takes their seats. But quickly we realised this was no regular play. Instead of actors taking their places on the stage, they are chatting with the audience!

The female characters are making advances on the male audience members and others are deep in conversation about what is in store that evening.

And the audience can not rest easy when the actors finally take the stage as the Chairman invites the audience to be as “vulgar and uncivilised as legally possible” in order for us to really have a good time.

But, he warns to pay attention, as clues to the mystery’s solution appear at every turn!

The winner of five Tony Awards including Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical, ‘Drood’ or ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ to give its full title, does not disappoint.

Written by Rupert Holmes, and based on a unfinished story by Charles Dickens, the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society managed an amusing, light-hearted evening carried along by a cast of highly skilled dramatic actors.

It is a play within a play and as each character takes the stage, the Chairman introduces them as their counterparts, so Edwin Drood is being played by Miss Alice Nutting, male impersonator extraordinaire of a fake theatre troupe, who is actually Jennifer Osmond.

As each character takes the stage the Chairman introduces them as their ‘Drood’ character and their fake troupe character, which only adds to the humour.

Not only is the audience watching ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ but we are also being included in the story about their counterparts.

This only adds to the humour as we watch the actors struggle with each other on another level- of the theatre group- as when the Chairman interrupts one scene to let the audience know the actor who is supposed to play mayor is actually too drunk.

He must then take over as Mayor and the whole time the audience is kept abreast of the situation, which only adds to the humour by making apparent that which is usually hidden away.

Charles Dickens passed away before he could finish his novel, so it is anyone’s guess as to the ending- and for the evening the audience makes the guess.

After the cast in a cast decide Edwin Drood is actually dead (because in fact Dickens never made that clear) the audience must decide who is the murderer.

The characters are lined up and the power lies in the audience to make the final decision!

And every character last night added to the story, each pulled their weight. From Rosa Bud, Alison Evans’s incredible voice to Stephen Notman’s unending, crack-up facial expressions - the strength of the actors abounded.

For anyone who enjoys the pantomimes each Christmas or the humour in the Monty Python sketches, you need to see ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood.’

Bookings can be made by telephone during box office hours on 292-0848 or online at www.bmds.

Otherwise, the box office is open at Daylesford Theatre between 5.30 and 7.00 p.m., Monday through Friday and tickets are $35. Tickets are still available and the show runs from May 2 to 12 with matinees are on May 5 and 12.