The Hollow
While The Hollow was blessed with talent, great costumes and an elaborate set, when watching this long and slow play I discovered my dislike of Agatha Christie crime mysteries.
Front Row Theatre Inc.
Hamilton Town Hall, Hamilton QLD
Saturday, 7 November, 2009
While The Hollow was blessed with talent, great costumes and an elaborate set, when watching this long and slow play I discovered my dislike of Agatha Christie crime mysteries.
For those who don’t know the Christie play, picture a real-life game of Cluedo and you’ve got the drift.
I was concerned upon reading that this whodunit had two intervals, thinking “this is going to be a long one”. A perky first Act was not particularly dragging, but Act Two and Three were slow-paced causing restlessness among the audience. It was disappointing the story was dreary because there were some stand-out performances from several of the cast.
Belinda Cargill as Lady Angkatell was hilarious and a welcome breath of fresh air in the dull scenes. Henrietta Angkatell, played by Natasha Petzel, was quite the lady; prim, proper and graceful on stage. The likable and conservative Midge Harvey, played by Sarah Fowkes and the meek Gerda Cristow, played by Gabrielle Smith were another two ladies who made a mark in this production. As for the gents, Erik de Wit as John Cristow was a charm as the classic ladies man. His foolish attitude was persuasive and I particularly commend his facial expression during death – hysterical. Kurt A Lerps as Sir Henry Angkatell, a.k.a. the interpreter of Lady Angkatell’s bizarre antics, was a delight as he sarcastically poked fun at his wife’s behaviour.
The ornate and impressive set gleamed in the community hall of Hamilton and it was hard to believe that I was actually there and not 1950s England. Director Eric Hauff, along with Paul Hannah and Ken Latter, attended to every detail with artwork, drapes, window views and lavish furniture. Costumes, also by Hauff and Elizabeth Nosworthy, were brilliant! An array of colours and design, the upper-class characters shone on stage. From hats to gloves they had everything covered and this really lit up the little stage and filled it with vibrancy.
Unfortunately, the fabulous performers and lush décor was not enough to save the story itself. The drawn out lead-up to the murder and the tedious process of questioning the suspects was painfully slow and uneventful. It’s hard to say whether or not Christie fans would be pleased – but at the very least they would appreciate the classic characters that have been brought to life. ??
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Until 15 November, 2009
