Tag Archives: Agatha Christie

Theatre Review: Peril in the Alps

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With his peculiar mustache and walk, Hercule Poirot (Omri Schein) solves another difficult case, this time in an exotic location up in the Swiss Alps.

Bella, the twin sister of Captain Hastings’ wife, gets kidnapped. At the same time, a new wealthy client reaches out to Poirot to help solve the strange abduction of her husband. Coincidently, the husband was seen with a woman that looks very much like Bella, right before his disappearance. Are both cases connected?

Playwright and Director Steven Dietz uses characterization, especially costumes and personal traits, as tools to deliver bombastic performances and excellent humor. The central character being Poirot, of course. It is not an easy task to repeat the successful portrayal of Poirot by David Suchet, who played the character for 14 years in Britain’s Channel 3 TV show. Schein, however, brings a fresh take on the Belgian detective. His accent and mannerisms seduce the audience in a way that only talented thespians are able to do.

Valerie Larsen as Captain Hastings delivers an outstanding performance as well. Her pose and overall characterization add a new approach to the loyal sidekick. Larsen exhibits the oddity and smartness of the character effortlessly, catapulting the essentiality of Hastings in the story arc.

Dietz’s ambitious production is also boosted by the impressive scenic, lighting, and costume design by Marty Burnett, Matthew Novotny, and Elisa Benzoni respectively. These elements highlight the farcical and comical nature of the play, turning the stage into an amusing visual spectacle.

At the end of some of the TV episodes, Poirot would recap through flashbacks how the mysteries unfold and how he solves them. In theatre, this would take more resources, so to solve it, Dietz uses puppetry to convey the summary of events; a clever device to deliver a creative comedy effect.

With fast-paced blocking and exceptional acting, Peril in the Alps honors the quirky characters and fascinating mysterious worlds of Agatha Christie, one of the most successful and revered writers of mysteries of the last century.

Peril in the Alps

Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Sunday, June 15 – Sunday, June 29, 2025

Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Thursdays at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Fridays at
7:30pm; Saturdays at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm.
There will be no performance on Sunday, June 15 at 1:00pm or Sunday, June
29 at 5:30pm.

Tickets: lagunaplayhouse.com

Written and Directed by Steven Dietz
Based in part on “Poirot Investigates” by Agatha Christie

Cast: Gabbie Adner as “Woman Two,” Valerie Larsen as “Captain Hastings,” Brian Mackey as “Man Two,” Omri Schein as “Hercule Poirot,” Amanda Sitton as “Woman One,” and Christopher M. Williams as “Man One.”

Creative team: Scenic design by Marty Burnett; costume design by Elisa Benzoni; lighting design by Matthew Novotny; composer and sound design by Rob Witmer; props design by Rai Feltmann; hair & wigs design by Peter Herman. The Production Stage Manager is Vernon Willet.

Theatre Review: Murder After Hours (The Hollow)

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Agatha Christie‘s adaptation of Murder After Hours (The Hollow) is mostly a psychological thriller with instances of physical comedy. The exposition builds up the dynamic relationships and the suspense starts to take over at the end of Act One. The time is 1951 in the garden room of Sir Henry Angkatell’s house, The Hollow, near London.

Henry (John Combs) is married to Lucy (Dani Thompson). She has invited some of her relatives to visit for the weekend. Also invited is Dr. John Christow (an extraordinary Jason Culp), a dedicated doctor with a charming demeanor to seduce women. Despite his fame as a playboy, Dr. Cristow is married to Gerda (Roslyn Cohn), a rather dull woman whose relentless effort to please him creates a monotonous relationship. During Act One, Dr. Cristow becomes the center of attention. He is married to Gerda, but is also the love interest of Henrietta (Meghan Lewis). He is also romantically involved with the Angkatells’ neighbor, Veronica Craye (Gina Yates), an actress and a diva. The relationship between Dr. Cristow and Henrietta bothers Edward (Joe Clabby), who is in love with Henrietta. In turn, that bothers Midge (Rebecca Del Sesto), who is in love with Edward. At the end of Act One, there’s a murder and the Scotland Yard gets involved. Inspector Colquhoun (Chris Winfield) and Detective Sergeant Penny (Patrick Anthony) take on the job to solve the mystery.

If Dr. Cristow is the center of attention in Act One, Gerda becomes the most intriguing figure in Act Two. Cohn delivers a solid performance as a dedicated wife in Act One, but turns things around in Act Two, especially at the end, when her personality casts a darker tone to the play. When she cries, there are tears involved, no dry tears here; a true professional actress. Director Jules Aaron has assembled a fantastic cast with experienced actors and newcomers to infuse new life to a story written in 1946. The acting is excellent, both main and secondary characters are convincing. Even though it feels that the story is moving at a slow pace—it’s just the way the story was written—the actors deliver a convincing performance to keep things moving forward.

Set design. Checked. It’s full of details and the background paintings add an airy and garden-like feel to the stage. The costumes also deserve a special mention. The designs, colors, and textures are reminiscent of the golden age of Hollywood, shoes and hair styles included. And we can’t forget the music. It really feels like we’re watching an old suspense movie from the 40s. All of the hard work put into this production is evident in every artistic element displayed on stage.

The Group Rep has been alternating period pieces with contemporary stories, balancing an attractive theatre offer to the local scene. Murder After Hours (The Hollow) is another delightful production to add to their catalog.

Murder After Hours (The Hollow)

Lonny Chapman Theatre – Main Stage
10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood 91601

August 2 – September 8

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm,

Tickets:  thegrouprep.com

Written by Agatha Christie. Directed by Jules Aaron. Produced by Cynthia Payo.

Cast: Patrick Anthony (Sergeant Penny), Joe Clabby (Edward Angkatell), Roslyn Cohn (Gerda Cristow), John Combs (Sir Henry
Angkatell), Jason Culp (John Cristow), Megan Deford (Doris), Rebecca Del Sesto (Midge Harvey), Meghan Lewis (Henrietta Angkatell), Michael Robb (Gudgeon), Dani
Thompson (Lady Lucy Angkatell), Chris Winfield (Inspector Colquhoun) and Gina Yates (Veronica Craye).

Creative team: Chris Winfield (Set Design), Shon Le Blanc (Costume Design), Frank McKown (Lighting Design), Nick Foran (Sound Design & Effects), Linda Brennan (Dialect Coach), Judi Lewin (Make-up/Hair Design), Patrick Gallagher (Prop Master), John Ledley (Stage Manager), Doug Haverty (Graphics).