Play revives story of unsolved Reading murder
Alfred Oliver was bludgeoned to death in 1929
Last updated 10th Nov 2021
A play about an unsolved murder in 1920s Reading has opened in the town.
61-year-old Alfred Oliver was bludgeoned to death at his tobacconist shop in Cross Street in the town centre - a visiting American actor was a prime suspect but the case remains officially open.
Toby Davies is artistic director of Rabble theatre who are performing 'Who killed Alfred Oliver?' at the Minster church - half a mile from where the crime was committed:
"It's an extraordinary unsolved crime from less than a 100 years ago that had the whole of Reading and a lot of the country just fascinated with what was going on here, for us it just felt like a really nice dramatic story that we could engage a lot of the community in."
That community involvement has seen archive material from Reading library put on display around the town. Toby says they've also had relatives of Alfred Oliver get in touch:
"we've had so many messages from 'you know I remember this coming out, or my Grandfather was this....' just so many people connecting with the story which is so important especially at this time when we're all emerging from our shells of the last year and a half for people to feel connected to the place, but also each other, there's nothing quite like live theatre to do that"
The play has been dramatised by writer Beth Flintoff into a classic whodunnit.
A US actor who was visiting the town at the time of the murder with a show called 'The Monster' was a prime suspect. The inquest into Alfred Oliver's death effectively became a murder trial and led to changes in the way inquests are held.
Toby says it's wonderful to be able to reference so many places in the town centre:
"it all happened on Cross Street, Friar Street, Station Road, there was this beautiful theatre on Cross Street the Royal County theatre which was full every night, gosh imagine that now!"
So who did kill Alfred Oliver? Toby isn't being fooled into answering that!
"well obviously you'll have to come and see the play we're on until the 20th of November!"