Leighton Buzzard author turns to acting in one-of-a-kind whodunnit musical released this Saturday

An author and actor from Leighton Buzzard is among the stars of a one-of-a-kind murder mystery musical set for release this weekend.

Thriller writer and bestselling author of The Missing, Karl Vadaszffy, stars in The Mystery of Mr E, set to stream on Amazon from Saturday (November 25).

The screenplay is the work of fellow author and Karl’s long-time friend, Sophie Hannah, who brought the murder mystery to the stage at Mill Hill School where Karl works as head of English. The stage production was filmed and talk turned to adapting it for the big screen. Karl’s role was realised when he secured a small teacher role in a short film by Martyn Tott, the filmmaker behind the murder mystery musical.

The story follows twin brothers John and George Danes – ‘The Generalists’ – who carry out an assortment of jobs for peculiar people. They’re about to set off for their next assignment when a man knocks on the door and announces himself as ‘the murderer’. They are assured by their client that their new assignment does not involve a murder case, that is, until one of the house guests winds up dead.

Karl plays sarcastic butler or ‘head of operations’, Andrew 'Anders' Anderson, at Idlewyld House where the mystery unfolds.

He explained: “Anders is essentially the keeper of the keys of the house, a butler-type who may or may not have done it. Because, as with any good murder mystery, there's got to be a dead body. Or maybe two.”

The musical was filmed at Hewenden Mill Cottages in Yorkshire, which Karl describes as ‘secluded in the middle of beautiful wildlife’. Although, the old house lent itself to some spooky mischief in between filming.

Karl explained: “It's an old place and colleagues tried to make me think spooky goings-on were afoot. One night, I received a frantic message indicating that Bethany, who plays Prof Taylor, had gone missing. Needless to say, I sprang heroically into action.”

The English teacher was just eight-years-old when he landed first acting gig - courtesy of Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson’s fencing coach, no less – in a music video. Karl played a kid turned into a punk rocker by a mad scientist in a song called Nukklear Rocket by a heavy metal band named Wrathchild.

And it comes as no surprise Karl has taken to acting since his father, Hungarian fencer Zsolt Vadaszffy, starred in films alongside Michael Caine and the Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice.

He added: “Acting has always been an interest. But when decisions had to be made in my twenties, I chose the career as a teacher. And now twenty years later I am back to acting.”

While he has no imminent plans to further his acting career, the author is working on a third instalment to his psychological thriller series, published under his pseudonym. A.J Park.

The Mystery of Mr E will stream on Amazon from Saturday.