Time for a dead script to be laid to rest

 

The Unexpected Guest By Agatha Christie, Ottawa Little Theatre. Directed by Alain Chamsi

The script of The Unexpected Guest is almost as dead as the body on stage for most of the first act.

The 60-year-old whodunit by Agatha Christie has many of the usual ingredients: a dark and stormy night; a limited number of suspects; several apparent reasons for killing the very nasty victim; a little intrigue; one surprise and a smattering of sex.

The other ingredient is the extreme wordiness of the script, as various combinations of two of the characters spell out the puzzle. On paper, The Unexpected Guest might seem an interesting jigsaw. On stage, it limps along, despite Ottawa Little Theatre’s attempt to deliver a solid tribute to Christie as a playwright. The problem is The Unexpected Guest is no Witness for the Prosecution or Mousetrap (still continuing its legendary run in London’s West End).

 The Unexpected Guest begins in dense fog with a stranger entering to find a dead man in a wheelchair and his wife standing over him, gun in hand. Apparently immediately attracted to her, he arranges to help her create an alibi. This is the first unlikely step on a journey that continues along its hard-to-accept path, as various characters suspect each other of murder.

 

As directed by Alain Chamsi, each member of the cast fulfils the requirements of the script. However, as most are written as stereotypes or pawns, it is difficult for the actors to develop their characterizations into memorable portrayals.

 

One actor meets the challenge. In the best performance of the evening, Jeff Clement delivers a believable and well-rounded portrayal of the murder victim’s unstable younger brother, Jan.

 

There are also solid performances from Sharron McGuirl as the victim’s mother and an appropriately unpleasant cameo from Philippe Gagnon as the victim’s blackmailing nurse, but they are hampered by a script that draws them as stereotypes.

 

In the key roles of the victim’s wife/widow and the helpful stranger, Dylan Barnabe and Jesse Lalonde perform competently, though Lalonde’s almost constant smug expression is an equally constant irritant.

Even the supposedly surprise ending is not much of a surprise for audiences familiar with this less-than-thrilling style of thriller.

 

The OLT production of The Unexpected Guest continues to June 28.

 

Director: Alain Chamsi

Set: Romauld Frigon

Lighting: Stephen Truelove

Sound: Robert Krukowski, Lindsay Wilson

Costumes: Gillian Siddiqui

 

Cast:

Michael Starkwedder………………………………………..Jesse Lalonde

Laura Warwick………………………………………………Dylan Barnabe

Julian Farrar………………………………………………….Jamie Hegland

Inspector Thomas……………………………………………Mike Logan

Sergeamt Cadwallader……………………………………….Jesse Durward

Mrs. Warwick………………………………………………..Sharron McGuirl

Angell………………………………………………………..Philippe Gagnon

Miss Bennett…………………………………………………Nancy Thompson

Jan Warwick………………………………………………….Jeff Clement