Winston Churchill famously described the Soviet Union as "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Manoa Valley Theatre’s production of playwright Ed Sala’s contemporary comedy "Bloody Murder" has similar multilayered qualities. It begins as a formulaic drawing-room murder mystery, but there are several stories within it that are anything but conventional.

Yes, Sala is satirizing Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries, but he is also commenting on American culture as viewed by members of the British upper classes and throwing in a writer’s perspective on the reasons some people write fiction. There is some serious thought-provoking stuff amid all the comedy.

But first things first. The characters are all stock murder mystery figures. There’s Major Quimby (Jeffrey Terry Sousa), who retired in England after distinguished service in India. There’s a once-famous actor destroyed by alcohol (Kevin Keaveney), an innocent young woman (Therese Olival), wealthy Lady Somerset (Stacy Ray), her "totally worthless" nephew (Garrett Hols) and her subversive maid (Lisa Barnes). Secondary characters include a countess of undetermined Eastern European origin, a Chinese detective, a chief inspector of police and a Zorro-like character named El Gato.

It isn’t long before one of the guests dies. With that murder — and with puns, sight gags and assorted one-liners flying in all directions — the action moves from mystery to comedy to farce.

Lady Somerset tells the others they’re not "real," they’re all just the fictional creations of a "low-brow" writer of second-rate murder mysteries who keeps recycling them through one cliché-ridden murder mystery after another. She persuades the others to stop "playing the game" and free themselves from the writer’s control.

Mayhem follows. Unconventional mayhem.

Guest director Elitei Tatafu Jr. has proved himself a master of this type of show with several previous MVT productions. He gets excellent performances from his actors and tech crew alike with this one. Sousa is a delightful discovery — a fresh face on the local theater scene and instantly likable as Major Quimby. Hols radiates flamboyant enthusiasm as the shamelessly greedy and ineffectual nephew. Olival is charming as the young woman who may be the key to the success of the characters’ revolt.

Ray is the center of the action with her commanding performance as a no-nonsense aristocrat.

Barnes distinguishes herself early in the scene where the maid must get herself out from under the dead body that has fallen on her.

From the early interplay between Sousa and Keaveney on through to the surprise ending, "Bloody Murder" is clever and well-crafted comedy. Tatafu and his cast make the most of it.

The tech crew earns its pay. Christine Arroyo and Duncan Dalzell share credit for the beautifully detailed English drawing-room set. Janine Myers (lighting design) and Jason Taglianetti (sound design) provide numerous audio and visual effects on cue. Sara Ward (props) supplies everything from murder weapons to a blue monkey statue and stray auto parts.

Watch for a cameo appearance by Hello Kitty as well.