Review
MYSTERY AT GREENFINGERS
Vertigo Mystery Theatre
Starring Sharon Pollock, Lindsay Burns and Jim Leyden
Written by J.B. Priestley
Directed by Gail Hanrahan
Runs until April 25
Vertigo Playhouse (Tower Centre)
Written by J.B. Priestley in 1937, Mystery at Greenfingers has been out of print for a number of years and Vertigo Mystery Theatre’s new production might even be the Canadian première (that, too, is a bit of a mystery). Sometimes, there is a reason why certain plays are forgotten – and even though Priestley’s writing can be pleasantly cheeky towards traditional whodunits, some of his scenarios haven’t aged well.
The setting is the late 1930s and the set-up is a classic – a group of people are trapped in a hotel in the Canadian Rockies during a blizzard. A stranger arrives with her mysterious companion, who disappears later that same night. It’s up to the hotel staff to solve the disappearance and discover any other potential dangers before it’s too late – or before you fall asleep.
Not typically intimidated by a lengthy evening at the theatre, I can safely say that this play is too long by an hour. The production suffers from something I call Chekhov syndrome – a common ailment in which the actors and director slow things down when the delivery should instead resemble the repartee of a Noël Coward play. The script has the dialogue to support quick exchanges, but there is too much of it. Director Gail Hanrahan could have made things move at a heightened pace, but cuts to the second act also would have been welcome. I would not normally encourage cutting, but the play’s location and some of the related dialogue have already been altered for this production, so perhaps some additional changes to the script would have proven beneficial.
Hanrahan has some great ideas, but seems to lack the confidence to make consistently clean choices in staging this play. Many decisions could have been pushed further to make this production visually more dynamic and entertaining.
The style of acting that this type of play demands is not to my taste, but can be fun to watch in moderation. Sharon Pollock’s Miss Tracey is something of a scene-stealer. With a few opportunities for sight gags and slapstick, Pollock performs with a humorous energy that works especially well in her scenes with Jim Leyden, who plays hotel detective Robert Crowther. And this is in spite of Leyden’s one-note performance, which is all loud barking and bad temper.
However, Laura Parken, as the wise-ass Edna Sanders, is the one who positively stands out with the best lines, clearest arc and strongest presence. She held my attention from start to finish with her fabulous 1930s drawl and creative sense of timing.
The cast, as a group, needs to refine some of their direction and could also be more comfortable with the script.
The set, designed by Scott Reid, is architecturally impressive, and the characters move through the space accompanied by the weight of obligation. Reid and Linda Leon’s costumes are playful and the lighting, designed by Cimmeron Meyer, revels in the style of an Agatha Christie sitcom.
Mystery at Greenfingers is not a challenging piece of theatre but it still needs to engage the viewer. And, while I completely support the campy side of mystery theatre, this production is not committed to providing that. As it is currently staged, I do not detect a clever comedy. |
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