The Lodger
Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King
Show – The Lodger
Playwrights – Susie Moloney & Vern Thiessen, based on the novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, inspired by the 1927 film by Alfred Hitchcock.
Production Company/Theatre space – (Professional)Vertigo Theatre / The Playhouse at Vertigo Theatre
Length – 2 Acts (2 hours 20 minutes– one intermission)
Genre/s – Thriller
Premise – When a waitress and her husband can’t pay the mortgage, they take in a lodger at the same time as women in the city start getting murdered.
Why this play? Why now? – Alfred Hitchcock epic writer/director (also wrote Vertigo!).
Curiosities – (spoilers) Why did he take down the art? Why do poor people not eat the food nor finish their beverages? Why doesn’t the frightened woman lock the doors, put on lights, or talk on the phone with the long cord as they suss out the situation for safety? When was her definitive “Aha!” moment? Why does she let him go? Is the ending triumphant or ironic?
Notable Moment – The slide show is very effective and truly horrific.
Notable writing – As a thriller, its strength is the moments of tension as auxiliary characters get bumped off one by one. Then the genre wobbles from thriller to mystery. The red herring that the husband or wife may be culpable dilutes the tension and diverts our attention rather than focuses it. We know from the onset who the killer is, the title is a spoiler. The waitress blinded by a wealthy educated man takes in an inordinate amount of time to realize the threat and we lose a little empathy with her initially. Her feminist rant after turning the tables also stretches credulity.
Notable performances – Returning for his 12th production at Vertigo Theatre (and in the titular role) Tyrell Crews is the only character lumbered with an accent. Sparring and suspicious husband and wife Bill and Ellen Bunting played by David Haysom and Lauren Brontman have a surprisingly chaste relationship (even though the play hasn’t been hampered by an intimacy coach). Debuting at Vertigo Theatre are delightful duo Norma Lewis and Grace Fedorchuk.
Notable design/Production – Sound Designer MJ Dandeneau gives a great tension filled score. Scott Reid provides a decrepit house that doubles as a police station and various night-time alleys, streets, and bus stops. Was it a comfort choice for the actor or did Costume Designer John Iglesias want her to sleep and have sex wearing pantyhose.
Notable direction – Real nail-biting tension can only be built in a continuous scene, this play has so many short scenes which work when smash cut in a screenplay but are more of a hurdle in a stage play, fortunately, Director Jack Grinhaus knows how to keep the engine running.
One reason to see this show – Celebrate 50 years of theatre at Vertigo (and formerly Pleiades).
Comments