The Murder Room: Murderously Funny Spoof

Photo Maria Vartanova

Director Geoff Gruson is dead-on in keeping The Murder Room in top gear. If audiences are given time to think as they watch playwright Jack Sharkey’s send-up of the murder mystery genre unfold, they might focus on the many discrepancies and holes in the zany plot.

But, with Gruson at the helm of the Ottawa Little Theatre production of the quirky 1977 comedy, laughter and just the right level of melodrama are the order of the day.

As Mavis, the gold-digging villain of the piece, Irish O’Brien is appropriately flamboyant, faithless and fast-talking as she tries to murder her husband, Edgar, (a suave Michael McSheffrey) with the honeymoon less than a day old. McSheffrey handles his contrasting double role as the young and slightly bumbling police constable equally well. (The connection is explained, sort of….)

As the long-time housekeeper, Lottie, Kelly Fuoco is effective and funny as she emphasizes her loyalty to Edgar and his daughter, Susan, and her suspicion of Mavis, while Maryse Fernandes, as Susan, must focus on being the dimmest of Barbie types. Yet, despite her empty-headedness, she has attracted the attention of a young American millionaire (played with a strong Southern accent by Phillip David Merriman) and the pair arrives on the scene newly engaged. Rounding off the cast is Michael McCarville as the police inspector with a hidden agenda, charged with investigating Edgar’s sudden disappearance.

Throw in a hidden room (the murder room of the title), secret passages, assorted guns, a few plot twists (don’t worry whether or not they are believable) and the Monty-Pythonesque comedy is complete.

Although occasional blanking on lines on opening night caused a few glitches and there is some variation in the quality of performance, the generally fine timing and excellent technical support in this production of The Murder Room are guaranteed to keep audiences laughing…though they might decide against a nightcap of hot cocoa after seeing the show.

The Ottawa Little Theatre production of The Murder Room continues to January 30.

The Murder Room

By Jack Sharkey

Ottawa Little Theatre

Director: Geoff Gruson

Associate director: Venetia Lawless

Set: Paul Gardner

Lighting: John Solman

Sound: Bradford MacKinlay

Costumes: Susan MacKinlay

Cast:

Edgar Hollister/Constable Abel Howard Andrew……………….….Michael McSheffrey

Mavis Templeton…………………………………………………….Irish O’Brien

Lottie Molloy…………………………………………………………Kelly Fuoco

Inspector James Crandall…………………………………………….Michael McCarville

Susan Hollister……………………………………………………….Maryse Fernandes

Barry Draper…………………………………………………….Phillip David Merriman

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