Review: THE UNEXPECTED GUEST - A Classic Whodunit at the Ottawa Little Theatre

The Unexpected Guest is based on a play written by Dame Agatha Christie, first staged in London in 1958. The show begins on a foggy night, when Michael Starkwedder (Jesse Lalonde) comes to a home looking for shelter and finds the body of Richard Warwick crumpled over his wheelchair with Laura Warwick (Dylan Barnabe), Richard's wife, holding a gun. When Laura admits to the murder, Starkwedder helps the pretty widow concoct a scheme to save her from the hangman's noose. But, of course, all may not be as it seems in a Christie play. Is Laura telling the truth or is she covering up for someone? We are soon introduced to other members of the Warwick household, each of whom had a possible motive to send the despicable Richard Warwick to an early grave.

The performance was well cast, with each actor complementing the others sharing the stage. Particularly, Barnabe gave a magnificent performance, making a sympathetic character out of Laura Warwick, even though the audience was perfectly aware she admitted to murdering her disabled husband in cold blood.

Lalonde also gave a strong performance, keeping the audience wondering why Starkwedder was so willing to get involved in the whole messy affair for the sake of a beautiful woman.

Sharron McGuirl (Mrs. Warwick), Nancy Thompson (Miss Bennett), and Philippe Gagnon (Angell) all gave fine performances. Jan Warwick's character was played to perfection by Jeff Clement, who was convincing in the difficult role of a mentally challenged young man.

Alain Chamsi's direction was admirable, with lots of attention to detail - little looks, touches, and even Laura's fidgeting, made the characters more believable. The set design, by Romauld Frigon, felt exactly right for the time period and never got boring, even though the entire play takes place in a single room.

During the intermission, the Ottawa Little Theatre invited patrons to guess the identity of the murderer for a chance to win a pair of tickets to an upcoming production. After the curtain call, a drawing was held among the correct guesses and the winner was announced.

I initially guessed the right answer but, as the play wore on, I changed my mind (twice) and ultimately got it wrong. That is the best part of this show - it keeps you involved in the story, trying to figure out whodunit.

You can try to figure it out for yourself: performances run through July 28, 2018 at the Ottawa Little Theatre. Tickets are between $14 and $29 and can be purchased online at http://www.ottawalittletheatre.com.

Photo credits: Maria Vartanova

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