Synopsis: The Cards Lied is a 30–minute historical fictional murder mystery set in 1920 Bootle, England, just after The Great War. Based on intense research, the plot of this play is believable in a historical context. As men returned from the war, women were pushed out of the jobs they held to keep the country and the war running. Many of these women turned to spiritualism to help themselves and others stay connected to the loved ones they lost.
In this play, three women who once worked side-by-side at the Cunard Shell Works find themselves embroiled in a disturbing scenario. One of them is dead, and her daughter is determined to search for the truth of how her loved one passed on. One who supervised production at Cunard now bitterly finds herself without a job and social standing. The third reads cards for a living, but at times, the cards lie. A man with deep ties to nature helps to carry out a plan to catch a murderer.
The Cards Lied poses an interesting reconsideration of responsibility, pressure and guilt.
Footnote: I am currently working on a second act, The Canary Girls’ Secrets, which takes place two years later.