‘Anybody For Murder?’ lacks mystery, not comedy
Brian Clemmons’ script for the comedy-mystery “Anybody For Murder?” is the type where a character announces “There’s not a flaw in the whole plan!”
And then, within seconds, there’s a flaw in the plan.
The British comedy was nicely adapted by Playcrafters for a two-weekend run that concludes Sunday. In his rookie directing turn, ComedySportz veteran Patrick Adamson and a six-member cast accentuate the humor as much as possible.
But the Brit script — originally set in a Greek island retreat — is the kind in which funny names (such as Ticklewell) and the repeated use of amusing phrases (stampeding goats, for instance) are often substituted for humor.
Playcrafters plays up the farcical aspect of the show, turning it into the kind of play where one character enters immediately after another exits. When simple entrances get laughs, you know the staging has worked.
In “Murder,” philandering husband Max (Christopher Tracy) is ready to off his wife, Janet (Pamela Crouch), by poisoning her cornflakes and settle in with his mistress, Suzy (Jean Lupoli). Apparently, Max has never heard of a divorce; we’re not quite sure why Janet deserves such treatment, either.
The aforementioned foolproof plan goes wrong when Mary Ticklewell (Kathy Heckman, new to Playcrafters) and her husband, George (Greg Bouljon), show up. A relative — Janet’s first cousin, Mary’s second cousin — has died, and Max realizes it’s worth millions to keep his wife alive after all.
Add to this mix a carefree thriller author (Ben Hopkins) and you’ve got yourself a mystery-comedy.
The physical comedy of “Murder” is strong. Both Crouch and Lupoli have to play dead at some time or other during the night, and Tracy has to shoulder the weight at least twice, once carrying a body up a flight of stairs. Both women are similar physical types, which makes the plot point of passing one off as the other seem logical.
But, again, the script is lacking. We’re not sure whether Max, played with a nice-guy demeanor by Tracy, is the hero or the villain. The audience also is unsure how a character has received vitally important plot information. The Ticklewells seem to alternate throughout the show — one being wise and reasonable, the other a complete ditz.
The mystery aspect of “Murder” isn’t there, but the comedy definitely is. If you want to see six people have an enjoyable time on stage and leave you with some laughs, it’s a problem that’s easy to solve.
David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com. Comment on this review at qctimes.com.
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What: “Anybody For Murder?”
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, March 14-15; 3 p.m. Sunday, March 16
Where: Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 35th Ave., Moline
How much: $10
Information: (309) 762-0330 or Playcrafters.com on the Web