Saturday evening’s dark and dreary weather provided the perfect stage for a retelling of a classic Agatha Christie tale.
Adultery, murder and madness form the primary foundation of The Hollow, which is now in its second week of performance at the Ladysmith Little Theatre.
At the centre of this unfortunate series of events is John Cristow (Rob Smith), a successful doctor who has come to The Hollow, home of Lucy and Henry Angkatell (Inge Cathers and Gordon McInnis) for the weekend with his wife Gerde (Tabi Jasper), who, while boring has provided a stable marriage for Cristow, after having had his heart broken by his ex-mistress Veronica Cray, the movie star.
Also visiting the home is Cristow’s lover, Henrietta, a talented sculptor, who is constantly rejecting Henry’s distant cousin, Edward Angkatell.
The plot thickens when Veronica Cray shows up unexpectedly in the cottage down the lane. Cray is determined to have Cristow back again, at any cost.
The next day, Gerde finds Cristow dying on the floor of Angkatell’s home, after being shot with a pistol.
With John just having returned late in the wee hours of the morning from a visit with Cray, it would seem most likely that Gerde is the murderer.
However, the production’s large cast provides a plethora of potential murderers to suspect, particularly as each character’s motivation for murder is slowly unveiled both before and after Cristow’s death.
Adding to that is Inge Cathers’ comedic portrayal of Lucy Angkatell, who’s strange behaviour ensures that not even the most eccentric of the characters is left without suspicion.
While the entire cast of The Hollow is to be commended for their stellar performances, perhaps the most impressive performance of the evening was that of Malinda Schenker and her portrayal of the tortured and emotional Henrietta.
As our summer weather begins to dwindle into less than favorable conditions, it is the perfect time to take in a production at our local theatre.
The Hollow, with its twists and turns, provides great entertainment value.
The Hollow plays Thursdays to Sundays, with varied performance times, until October 2. For more detailed information, call 250-924-0658 or visit www.littletheatre.com.