Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace – St Peter’s Hill Players

‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ is a pitch-black comedy farce written by Joseph Kesselring and most well-known from the 1944 Frank Capra movie featuring Cary Grant which has been brought to life by the St Peter’s Hill Players.  Directed by Lucy Kelley, we were treated to a night of comedy in this slickly produced show where nothing is as it seems and dark family secrets come bubbling comically to the surface. 

The play opens with a delightful tea scene, where Abby Brewster (Lis Connor) is serving afternoon tea to the Reverend Harper (the minster who lives next door played by Jim Snee) and Abby’s nephew Teddy Brewster (a hilarious character observation from Paul Connor).  Abby’s other nephew Mortimer is courting the Reverend’s daughter Elaine (Rachel Armitage), but Mortimer is a theatre critic which does not sit well with the theatre hating cleric.  

Everything seems quite normal, until Teddy suddenly runs up the stairs with an ear deafening cry of ‘charge’ only for Abby to calmly note that ‘he thinks he’s President Roosevelt and the stairs are San Juan Hill.’   Teddy’s constant bugle playing however has been prompting complaints from the neighbours but, when the local police visit to investigate, they believe him to be harmless and humour him in his delusions. 

Another sister, Martha Brewster (Sharon Antony) enters, and a strange conversation ensues about an elderly gentleman Mr Hoskins but again this is understandable since the ladies take in lodgers - but why does Abby want Martha to look in the window seat?  The answer is quickly discovered by Mortimer (Daniel Ferguson) who while outlining the latest play he is due to review, lifts the lid of the window seat to reveal a dead body!  

At first, Mortimer assumes that the harmless Teddy has killed the unfortunate victim but, to his dismay, his aunts’ cheerfully confess to the crime as they go about setting the table.  In the most matter of fact way they detail their ‘little secret’ - dispatching lonely old bachelor gentlemen with their own concoction of elderberry wine laced with arsenic, cyanide and strychnine!

Much of the comedy comes from the deadpan way the dotty sisters’ reason with the dumbfounded Mortimer over their actions and the revelation that they have twelve victims in the cellar which Teddy has innocently buried believing them to be yellow fever victims tying in with his belief that he is in Panama acting out the life of President Roosevelt. 

Throw in a psychotic mysterious older brother Jonathan (Paul Keenan) accompanied by the mad plastic surgeon Doctor Einstein (Andy Antony) and a star struck would-be playwright Officer O’Hara (Briony Sparrow) and you have a farcical situation comedy of errors with lots of misunderstandings and opportunities for physical comedy. 

Paul Connor was fantastic as the larger than life, bombastic Teddy Brewster with his catchphrase of ‘bully’ running up and down the stairs blowing his bugle and misidentifying people as historical characters from the life of President Roosevelt.  I loved his costume changes and the innocent way he accepted his role as blithely doing the dirty work for his aunts.  The physical comedy he used for carrying out the corpse was very funny. 

Rachel Armitage was perfect as the sassy fiancé Elaine who was more than a match for Mortimer refusing to be bullied by him in his attempts to get rid of her once he discovered his aunts’ dark secret.  Her diction was crystal clear and she showed good comedy timing. 

Daniel Ferguson was hilarious as the feather-legged Mortimer trying to deal with the insanity in his family he showed great physical comedy and his exasperation at his aunts’ casual attitude to murder was very funny.  I loved the scene where he innocently set himself him as Jonathan’s potential murder victim to be tortured by Dr Einstein and his bag of tricks. 

The sweet old ladies played with impish innocence by Lis Connor and Sharon Antony were pitch-perfect in their delivery and worked wonderfully together. Their body language, use of little signals to communicate between themselves and the deadpan way they spoke about their gentlemen victims ‘poor dears’ was very well done providing much of the dark humour.  Miss Abby and Martha were the picture of normality with a very unusual side hobby but spoke so convincingly about their pact we were almost left thinking - who was insane them or Mortimer? 

The dastardly duo of the criminal Jonathan, played by Paul Keenan and the mad doctor Einstein, Andy Antony, was good. I especially liked how Jonathan (Paul Keenan) became less sinister as the story progressed his flabbergasted reaction to the revelation of his aunts’ serial killing boy count total was hilarious.  Andy Antony played Doctor Einstein very well with a convincing softly lilting German accent and an understandable fear of the psychotic Jonathan trying desperately to prevent from losing his temper and going on a killing spree.  I liked the scene where he ominously pulled out tools of the torturing trade from his bag to use on the defenceless Mortimer. 

Special mention to Briony Sparrow as theatre obsessed star-struck Office O’Hara, doggedly determined to recount the play to the bemused Mortimer.  Briony’s physical comedy was excellent with animated acting of the opus that bored everyone to tears resulting in Jonathan falling asleep from boredom and a total lack of understanding of what was going on right in front of Officer O’Hara’s eyes!

Other characters supported the story performing variously as police officers (Bobby Alner and Chris Anderson) a dual role as Lieutenant Rooney for Jim Snee who was hilarious as the overpowering captain who held the key to Jonathan’s identity and the hapless would-be victim Mr Gibb and proprietor of Happy Valley Sanatorium both played by Gary Cadwallader. 

The set was a genteel, old colonial family home complete with papered and panelled walls, lots of period furniture and subtle attention to detail such as period telephone, tablecloths, candelabra, napkins and tea-sets.  The costumes of the aunts’ especially Martha’s long dress and shawl, and their wonderful black mourning clothes reflecting their being stuck in a by gone age.  Teddy’s outfit complete with pith helmet, back-pack and water bottle was a joy to behold.  The rest of the cast wore outfits matching their profession, such as American police uniforms and handcuffs or smart suits reflecting their status complete with hats.  Elaine and Mortimer were the most modern for the time period with Elaine wearing a series of 40s style dresses and shoes.

Lighting was used very well in the production and were turned on and off to create a nighttime effect.  This was used especially well in the scene where Jonathan and Dr Einstein were seen creeping around the house by candlelight and the use of a centre spotlight over the table as Dr Einstein produced his torture implements.  

Well done director Lucy for your vision in creating a slick funny comedy ensuring that it never lost any of its original charm.  You got the very best from the cast and your attention to detail was obvious to see. Thank you for the lovely welcome and the chance to meet the cast after the show - even the opportunity to shake hands with one of the corpses!

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