Michael Chaplin blog

I often get asked where my ideas come from. Other writers I know seem to find the question irritating. I find it interesting, and believe the answer can be instructive, for me and maybe for the questioner too.

First of a pair of charming plays (there's another tomorrow) by Michael Chaplin about William (Richard Briers) and Sandy (Stanley Baxter), two residents at the Old Beeches retirement home for theatricals who, when the call comes, can set their differences aside and solve the occasional mystery. Today's involves Charlie (Barry Cryer), an elderly comic. His joke book goes missing and, with it, quite a lot of money. But it's a delicate situation, one that will soon call for all the tact that our duo of tetchy amateur sleuths can muster.