Review: LOVE FROM A STRANGER at Oyster Mill Playhouse

The 1936 play Love from a Stranger is an adaptation by Frank Vosper and Agatha Christie of Christie’s 1924 short story Philomel Cottage. Love from a Stranger is a brilliantly written psychological thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats right up to the very last moments. Oyster Mill Playhouse brings Love from a Stranger to the stage under the direction of Aliza Bardfield through January 26th.

Oyster Mill’s production is beautifully designed, with period-appropriate set, costumes, and props. The lighting sets the mood and heightens the suspense as the play progresses. A production requiring two interior sets is a tall order for a small stage, but the team at Oyster Mill is more than up to the challenge. The transition from Cecily’s London flat to the country cottage is creative and effective.

The show opens in Cecily’s flat as Auntie Loo-Loo and Mavis Wilson are assisting Cecily in her attempt to rent out her flat. Auntie Loo-Loo is played by Liz Curtis. Curtis has fantastic comedic timing, and her line delivery and facial expressions elicit laughs from the audience in every scene she’s in. She’s the perfect choice to highlight Auntie Loo-Loo’s judgmental but well-meaning busy-body personality. Annie Priestner takes on the role of Mavis Wilson, Cecily’s Best Friend. Priestner’s interactions with Auntie Loo-Loo, Cecily, and Nigel are wonderfully sincere. She is able to bring out Mavis’s concern for her friends and her desire to be supportive while not wanting to see anyone get hurt. Her Mavis is loyal, strong, and practical. Murray Weed portrays Nigel Lawrence, Cecily’s long-time fiancé who has just returned from Sudan. Weed’s performance is nuanced and emotional, drawing the audience into the turmoil Nigel experiences throughout the show.

As the play moves into Act Two, the audience meets a variety of characters who work and live not too far from the isolated country cottage. A.J. Rhoads and Stephanie Finsterbush portray Hodgson and Ethel. Rhoads is hilarious as the elderly gardener with rheumatism, and his interactions with Cecily are heartwarming. Finsterbush’s Ethel is sweet, naïve, energetic, and spacey. Audiences can’t help but fall in love with the quirky gardener and his niece, and they provide comic relief in the second and third acts as the storyline gets more and more intense. Michael Hosler appears as the true-crime loving village doctor, Dr. Gribble. Hosler plays the doctor with the perfect balance of small-town humility and ardent passion for his patients. His concern for Cecily and Bruce is palpable as the show heads toward its climax.

Holly Landis and Matthew Golden play Cecily Harrington and Bruce Lovell, respectively. Landis and Golden have fantastic chemistry on stage, bringing their characters and their relationship to life beautifully. The audience is completely captivated by these actors and the way their characters transform over the course of the performance. To say much more will give away too much of this mystery’s twists and turns, so visit oystermillplayhouse.com to get your tickets before it sells out!

To post a comment, you must register and login.