When late British playwright Jack Sharkey sought to satirize the familiar tropes of the very English, small cast, single location stage mystery (think Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap), he set his 1977 play The Murder Room in "the present day."
The main conceit of the current White Rock Players Club production (Oct. 3 to 20 at the Oceana PARC Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd.), directed by Lance Peverley, is to plunk the property squarely back in Christie territory, 1939 to be exact.
Which is probably appropriate for this English country house puzzler, particularly when the house in question is one of those replete with secret drawers, panels and passageways.
Early in the proceedings, the play's characters are presented with the disturbing disappearance of the owner, the wealthy Edgar Hollister (Andrew Wood) whose ingenuity devised many of the house's strange secrets.
Left to try to discover what became of Edgar are his new bride, the beautiful Mavis Hollister (played by Lori Tych); his pretty daughter Susan (played by Adrian Shaffer), Susan's fiance, an American millionaire named Barry Draper (Cole Stevenson); the family's loyal housekeeper, Mrs. Lottie Molloy (Sheila Keating), and professional, pragmatic Scotland Yard investigator Inspector James Crandall (Chuck Mayne).
As in all Christie-style mysteries, nothing is quite what it seems at first blush – and twists and turns come almost as thick and fast as laugh lines in Sharkey's script.
Aiding the humour quotient, Shaffer told Peace Arch News, is that, while all of the characters are adept at picking up on a plethora of clues, they aren't particularly bright when it comes to interpreting them.
"It's as though they're all playing hot potato with a single brain cell – batting it back and forth between them as they try to figure out what's going on," said Shaffer, versatile actor and director of last season's successful Players Club production of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit.
"That is, all except the one who is the evil mastermind behind the whole thing."
The play has been described as Agatha Christie-meets-the-Marx Brothers, and Shaffer agrees that pretty much nails it.
"It's full of mile-a-minute dialogue – blink and you're going to miss something."
Shaffer – who has often sought out much more dramatic roles – also agrees that hitting the right note with comedy is one of the hardest tasks for an actor.
The challenge with the very English, very privileged Susan, they said, is to present a caricature character authentically in a caricature world.
"She's delightful but dumb. She's an eternal ray of sunshine who doesn't fully comprehend the dangers she's facing. Whatever happens, as far as she's concerned, it doesn't matter, because it's all going to be fine.
"I've even given her a giggle at various moments – nobody's told me to stop, so I'm presuming it works!"
Barry is the stereotypical American millionaire, although less brash and more on the slow, thoughtful side, Shaffer said.
"Cole really does it well, as the sole 'American' voice surrounded by other characters spouting various British dialects."
Shaffer is enjoying working with Wood, as Edgar, and Mayne as Crandall, who they describe as "the one responsible adult in a room full of puppies and kittens."
They're also enjoying working with Keating, who presents a Mrs. Molloy who has "her finger on the pulse of everything that's going on with the Hollisters – she's worked for them for 30 years and she's devoted to the family, particularly Edgar and Susan, but also very welcoming to the new Mrs. Hollister."
Tych presents a Mavis who is "everything you could expect of a youthful stepmother – she's prepared to take on anything, although I don't think she knows some of the depths of the family."
It's the first time Shaffer's shared the stage with Tych since A Comedy of Tenors in 2019, although Tych acted the role of Mme. Arcati in Blithe Spirit.
"We've worked on the same shows in different capacities, but it's been great to work together again from start to finish as actors," Shaffer said.
"It's very much an ensemble piece – we're all sharing the stage and playing with each other. There isn't a sense that any of us are supporting characters."
Regular performances of The Murder Room are 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, with 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees.
For tickets ($29, seniors and youth $25), call 604-536-7535, email boxoffice@whiterockplayers.ca or visit whiterockplayers.ca
