Lloyd Pederson and Reed Campbell (photo by @Mechanical Dragons)
Reviewed by Skylar Vulcan
The Group Rep Theatre
Through Nov. 1
RECOMMENDED
Reed Campbell, Devin Dominguez, and Chris Winfield (Photo by @Mechanical Dragons)
This review is part of the Stage Raw/Unusual Suspects Youth Journalism Program
Supposing one were to have a free evening to relish in the mystery and delight of Agatha Christie’s Spider’s Web; look no further than the Lonny Chapman Theatre. The Group Rep delivers a marvelous production highlighting the renowned wit of a classic whodunnit. Chris Winfield’s expansive set, innovative and deceptively large, takes us to 1950s London, where we hear perfect English dialects thanks to the outstanding accent work.
We follow the inner workings of the Brown estate, as Clarissa Hailsham-Brown (Ava Oran) spins a web of nigh un-trackable lies to cover a murder that could ruin her husband Henry Hailsham-Brown’s (Joshua Lang) diplomatic meeting that very night.
I confess, I laughed at the winks to the fourth wall, demonstrating that metadrama is alive and well in the 21st century.
Mareli Mitchel-Shields’s direction is decisive and bold, matched by the seamless technical craftsmanship from both production and cast. Each character is rich in depth, from the actors’ mannerisms to the many one-on-one interactions that leave you wondering . . . “was it them?”
Perhaps what captivated me most was the remarkable glee within which the actors played off each other.
The comedic timing in particular keeps all the threads together, and no matter who is on stage, there is clear chemistry and connection that makes the internal environment believable. Carol Kaufman fills the stage with chaos and comedy as Mildred Peak, the gardener; while Lloyd Pedersen as Hugo Birch, a family friend and local justice, masterfully displays the absurdity of the whole ordeal through his timid demeanor.
The production offers what feels like an authentic insight into Copplestone Court’s environment; from the garden to the library, no stone goes unturned. In a thoroughly well-rounded production, Group Rep has succeeded in breathing life into the work of this world-renowned writer/mistress of deceit. The evening comes filled with drama, death, and deception in a wondrous display of both the murder mystery genre and its dry humor.
The Group Rep at the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm; Sun., 2 pm; thru Nov. 1. www.thegrouprep.com Runtime: approximately two hours and 30 minutes with an intermission
