BWW Reviews: Devil's Thumb Productions ACCOMPLICE - Wickedly Wonderful!

Devil's Thumb Productions presents Rupert Holmes's dark comic mystery ACCOMPLICE in Boulder, CO. Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Thriller from Mystery Writers of America, ACCOMPLICE is set in a quaint, upper-class British home where nothing is what it seems. Four characters, each on different plateaus of revenge, attempt to anticipate who is playing or killing whom in a high stakes game for their lives which leads to the ultimate question: Who is the true Accomplice? And how did this bloody candlestick get in my hand?

Okay. I don't want to give away too much here since this play is, after all, a murder mystery - the key word being mystery. I visited this show in its final dress rehearsal, which may have been appropriate for this play-within-a-play-within-a-paradox. This play, written in 1990 by Rupert Holmes (yes, that versatile writer and warbler of the iconic piña coladas and getting caught in the rain ditty), can be broken Down into four linear scenes: Scene 1 - rehearsal for the murder; Scene 2 - the murder; Scene 3 - complications from the murder with a breakdown from the "play" (think Noises Off); and Scene 4 - all the hell the murder taking place happens to break loose. Where is Colonel Mustard when you need him?

Scene 1 is phenomenally fun, setting a dizzying mind spin in motion as you come to realize it's a rehearsal for a murder. Scene 2 is equally enjoyable; it's true what they say - no murder ever goes according to plan. If it did, we wouldn't have things like America's Most Wanted and amusing plays like this one to illustrate how murders never go according to plan. The play-within-a-play is hilarious and filled with lovely British wit, which you all know I adore. The show boldly mocks the mystery genre, drinking onstage, and even theatricality itself. Don't blink during the first half of the show, as things skid sideways and backwards and upside down, screaming along the way like Marion Crane in that one shower scene. In Scene 3, however, the marvelous roller coaster flow comes to an unnerving halt. The break from the play-within-a-play thread felt long. I found myself wishing they would have utilized the piano player more. The pace just never regained ground from there. Momentum is essential in a play of the suspenseful thriller motif, building ... building ... building until that inevitable, dramatic ... thing that happens in Scene 4 that I'm not going to tell you about because it's a murder mystery, after all. Also I would like to have seen more hysteria and agitation not only from the company players, but also from the intended victim which would help to build the excitement in this fun scene. While I was thoroughly amused and entertained by Scenes 3 and 4 (and the entire production overall), the midway lag took me off the edge of my seat and never quite got me back to it. Now, I must add a caveat here: this may simply have been a dress rehearsal quirk - what can go wrong should go wrong at dress rehearsal and at no other time. I hope things smoothed out on opening night. And I will say the plot itself is satisfactorily unpredictable and works well - just when you think you have this thing figured out - bam! You find your feet on a completely different path to solving the crime, and it is unfamiliar territory. How fun!

Alexandra Lewis as Janet/Erika is devilishly delightful, one of Boulder's hidden gems. I look forward to seeing more of her in upcoming productions. David Menich as Jon/Brian does a great job as Lewis's counterpart, equalizing her cunning cleverness in subtle yet funny ways. The other ensemble members of the small cast, Kent Randell as Derek/Hal and Laura Kruegel as the ditzy Melinda/Harley, are just plain fun to watch. Director Alex Hughes should be commended for putting together such a capable cast for this twisted, devious, smart script.

Scenic designer Shannon Meihaus brings an upper-class British air to the show with appropriate set construction and props, but I wonder if I missed something by attending the dress rehearsal rather than a regular showing. I also wonder how much of the set was actually complete for the "play" that was also in rehearsal, thus making the blue masking tape on the walls with a half painted set completely relative to the plot. Musical composer David Rynhart did a fabulous job establishing atmosphere with his haunting and menacing score. Live music during the show only enhanced the mystery melodrama experience. Nice touch!

Your head will spin from all of the screaming roller coaster twists in this remarkable show. It's a great start to Devil's Thumb Productions' new season. I'm on the edge of my seat for what's to come! So turn on your inner Miss Marple, unpack your Sherlock pipe and deerstalker hat, and witness ACCOMPLICE for yourself! ACCOMPLICE plays Friday and Saturday evenings until November 19th at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, CO. For tickets or information, contact Devil's Thumb Productions at 303-250-8177 or online at www.devilsthumbproductions.org or http://thedairy.org/events/

PHOTO CREDIT:  Charles Carman

Pictured Above (Clockwise starting in upper left corner) Kent Randell, Alexandra Lewis, David
Menich, and Laura Kruegel

 

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