Deadly Murder

Postcard review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – Deadly Murder

Playwright – David Foley

Production Company/Theatre space – The Playhouse, Vertigo Theatre

Length – 2 ACT (2 hours – one intermission)

Genre/s – Drama

Premise – Without spoilers - a widowed jeweler has problems evicting her one-night stand from her apartment; calls the security guard for help; then lies, plot twists, and a gun are introduced; and we end up with murder.

Why this play? Why now? – This small cast play fits the mandate.

Curiosities – I wondered why two bios were missing in the program.

Notable Moment – Scuffle and blood.

Notable writing – In the Venn diagram of plays, this falls within the Deathtrap/Sleuth circle of plays that have had multiple international productions and have more twists than fusilli. There are only so many combinations of who is against whom and why, and these all get played out. There is action and intrigue but Act Two is mired by a weighty back story told through long monologues. It is the character who was duped who elicits the most sympathy, but this is not the protagonist.

Notable performances – Long time Calgary theatre pillar director/dramaturg/actor Shari Wattling is a consummate pro handling high heels and firearms in equal measure. Jay Northcott as her sexy bad-boy bully Billy is riveting. The last of the triad, David Haysom, delivers another of the solid performances we’ve come to expect from him.

Notable design/Production – Set Designer Lauren Acheson gives the play a rich boho Manhattan loft with lots of searchable nooks, objects d’art, and 1980 deco chairs (that I overheard two people coveting). Sound Designer Alix Cowman’s sound scape supports and distracts in equal measure.

Notable direction – Actor/Director Valerie Planche keeps the production from becoming melodramatic or silly (as I could see it devolving into in less talented hands). The show’s success is helped with the talents of Fight Manager (and first Canadian woman to achieve Fight Master status) – Laryssa Yanchak.

One reason to see this show – Despite the laughable tautology of the title, this show is dead good.