Reviews to help you through the hit-or-miss loveliness that is the Calgary Fringe Festival

Cross Purposes

Posted by Kathleen Renne in Fast Forward Fringe Blog
Cross Purposes, Lantern Church Gym, Friday 8:00
 
Cross Purposes is an amateurish attempt at Agatha Christie, complete with a British-accented butler and a detective who may not be all she seems.  It's an original musical. 

While many of the songs seem similar to one another, the cast performs them well.  (A song on the hardships of being a trophy wife is particularly entertaining.)  There are a few good laughs throughout, though it seems like the play can't decide whether it's an honest-to-goodness murder mystery, or a spoof of the genre.  The other thing is, as the play involves a "dark and stormy night," some lighting effects would have added enormously to the production value.  It's hard to feel the haunting spookiness under the bright lights of the Lantern Church Gym.  However, the who-dunnit aspect does draw one in after awhile. 

All-in-all, if you're looking for a fun, tame show at the Fringe, then Cross Purposes fits the bill.

-Kathleen Renne

more in Theatre     |     posted Aug 1st, 2009 at 3:28pm     


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