Spider's Web

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – Spider’s Web

Playwright/s/Composer/s – Agatha Christie

Production Company/Theatre space – Workshop Theatre, Victor Mitchell Theatre, Pumphouse.

Length – 2 Acts (2 hours, 45 minutes, one intermission.)

Genre– Mystery

Premise – Shortly after renting a large country house with her new husband and stepdaughter, Clarissa hosts three houseguests and an uninvited person arrives, one of whom is murdered.

Why this play? Why now? – Another Agatha Christie world renowned crowd pleaser.

Curiosities – I wondered why the main character is the only one with an unmotivated costume change – it seemed like a red herring that should be thrown back in the water. Why didn’t the policeman shave? Why were some costumes not ironed?

Notable Moment – Schtick!

Notable writing – This is one of the lightest mysteries in Christie’s library. She has infused this murder mystery with humorous moments. Christie even has one of the characters playfully reference one of her other plays (which was done in the theatre last year and spoken by the actor who was in it!) While undeniably a master craftswoman, by today’s sensibilities it seems overwritten.

Notable performances – Last season’s CAT award winning actors Ray Dhaliwal and Ali Grams, along with Equity actor Gerald Matthews, are the three strongest performers (and yes, I would say this if he wasn’t my husband ;-). Grams plays the lady of imagination and the lady of the house; she is the fulcrum in this cast of eleven.

Notable design/Production – Sound Designer Evan Davies has given a lighter musical touch to the incidental music and background befitting the tone of the play. Jacquie Goth Brennan’s set design provides a lovely period parlour and two pieces of furniture with secrets.

Notable direction – Because Louis B. Hobson is so experienced a director, he can adeptly mix suspense, drama, and comedy to form one cohesive show. The Three Stooges moment was unexpected and delightful. He also wisely doesn’t have the characters do British accents which the professional shows often get wrong creating a wall between the audience and cast. The Christie estate is notoriously hard to deal with and legally altering the script would have taken years, therefore ethically, Hobson didn’t slash the script as others might. With so many schlocky adaptations, this production will stop her spinning in her grave.

One reason to see this show – Pre-Halloween you will see spider’s web decorations everywhere; let it be a reminder to get tickets. No trick, just a treat.