The Omelet Murder Case.

by Tim Kelly

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Mr. Kelly, who was born in 1931, wrote more than 300 comedies, dramas, one-acts, mysteries, melodramas, children's shows and musicals, making his living writing for the stock, amateur and educational markets.

He wrote under his own name, and also at least four pseudonyms (Vera Morris, J. Moriarty, Robert Swift, Keith Jackson), for publishers such as Samuel French, Pioneer Drama Service and Contemporary Drama Service, among others.

Pioneer alone has 130 scripts by Kelly, according to Pioneer publisher Steven Fendrich. "It covers the gamut," Fendrich told Playbill On-Line Dec. 10. Mr. Kelly was the first playwright to sign up with the Colorado-based Pioneer when it was founded in 1967 by Fendrich's father.

Reviews

[Dan Blackley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spoof one act on the classic mystery play in a drawing room. We performed this years ago and the audiences enjoyed it.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely zany humor and quite an amusing story. This is a Hamlet parody of sorts, except its set in Chicago and is also a murder-mystery. I won't say much for fear of giving away the ending, but fans of Tim Kelly's The Butler Did It will love this.

The scene where Shake gets his hand caught in the vase reminded me quite a bit of the other scene where Chandler Marlowe (from The Butler Did It) got his foot stuck in the wastepaper basket. Comedy gold. I was rather tickled to see him use the same gag twice.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoofing Hamlet with a Philip Marlowe / Nick Danger private eye murder mystery with Easter eggs aplenty referring back to other plays by the Bard of Avon. Firesign Theatre could have penned this play. Light fun should play well on stage.