A Victorian mansion on a stormy British coast, a diabolical crime and its psychological aftermath are at the heart of the upcoming production 鈥� Victoria鈥檚 House, by Fred Carmichael.
When Neil Bannister kills his devoted wife Victoria, he thinks he has committed the perfect crime. That is, until forces 鈥� be it the long arm of the law or something more supernatural 鈥� begin to work against him.
Set at the turn of the 20th century, Victoria鈥檚 House is not a murder mystery in the classic sense, said its director, Angela Bell.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a whodunnit, because you know whodunnit,鈥� said Bell, who is taking her third turn at the helm of an LP production. She previously directed The Last Real Summer in 2009 and last winter鈥檚 comedy For Better.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of like a mystery, crossed with a ghost story. It borders on a psychological thriller.鈥�
It has been several years since the drama club, which performs out of the little theatre in Brookswood, has mounted a mystery, she said, but there was something about Carmichael鈥檚 two-act play that grabbed everyone on the play reading committee.
鈥淲hen we read this as a committee, we were so caught up in the story that when somebody knocked at the door (of the playhouse) we all screamed.
鈥淚t scared the bejeezus out of us,鈥� laughed Bell.
With the source material in place, it became a case of finding the right people to draw audiences both into the building and into the story itself.
鈥淲hen it came to women, there was just an overwhelming number (who auditioned),鈥� said Bell. For the sake of time, she had to be quick and ruthless in her decisions.
鈥淣obody got a second chance that day, unfortunately. They had to come out swinging on the first try.鈥�
In the end, Gemma Martini won the role of Mrs. Case, the home鈥檚 austere housekeeper, while Robyn Roukema will play Jane Leighton. Performing the title role of Victoria Bannister is Burnaby鈥檚 Tamara Prescott.
One of Bell鈥檚 happiest discoveries was Kathleen Auton, who plays the servant girl, Winnie.
鈥淚t鈥檚 her first production out of high school. She鈥檚 a delight,鈥� said the director.
91原创 physician, actor and musician Shannon Lee, plays Margaret St. James, an eccentric spinster who believes in the occult. And while Lee is used to performing in comedies (as she did in last season鈥檚 For Better) her character is one of the few in this atmospheric drama who gets to play for laughs 鈥� simply because she is so serious about an inherently funny subject.
Another key component of Lee鈥檚 character, which audiences at the first few shows won鈥檛 get to appreciate, is her elaborate period hairstyle. With all its rolls and pins, the first attempts took an hour and a half to complete, she said. However, the stylist working on the show isn鈥檛 available until the second week of the run, so early audiences will get a toned down version.
One thing they will feel the full force of, however, are the accents 鈥� both upper and working class British 鈥� noted Lee, who is pleased that Bell decided to challenge her actors.
鈥淎 lot of people are afraid of (doing accents on stage) but I鈥檝e been around British accents all my life. My husband is British, so I鈥檓 comfortable with it,鈥� she said.
The distinctive speech patterns add to the veracity of the play, and create a better experience for the audience, she believes.
At the same time, Lee suspects, the requirement helped Bell to winnow down the list of suitable candidates.
Unlike with the women, Bell was able to spend a bit more time casting the male characters, selecting 91原创鈥檚 Peter Goddard for the role of Stephens, the estate鈥檚 groom and handyman.
鈥淧eter played the father in (last season鈥檚) Lost in Yonkers, which was a huge winner for us,鈥� said Bell.
The role of the murderous Neil Bannister went to Tomas Gamba, while Raymond Hatton will play Charles Axton.
The part of lawyer William Scott was already cast when the actor told Bell he had a conflict with the play鈥檚 run dates.
鈥淪o I had to recast. We had this scary emergency, and in walked Joshua (deGroot) and he was just absolutely amazing,鈥� said Bell, adding the young actor commands the stage in the same way the attorney鈥檚 presence fills a room.
The entire team, whether on stage or backstage, has been brilliant, said Bell.And she鈥檚 confident that teamwork will translate to audiences during the show鈥檚 month-long run.
Lee agrees.
In this play, the house is as much a character as any portrayed by an actor on the stage, said the actress.
In the beginning, Lee admitted, she was a little concerned about how it was going.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 coming alive for me until the music, the set and the lighting were added in,鈥� she said.
Together, she said, the effects combine to create an often spooky atmosphere, that will allow audiences to suspend their disbelief and be drawn into the story.
鈥淭hat has been accomplished 鈥� more than it has by the actors 鈥� by the technical people,鈥� she said.
Victoria鈥檚 House runs Thursdays to Sundays from Jan. 19 to Feb. 18 at the 91原创 Playhouse, 4307 200 St. in Brookswood. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
All tickets are $15. For reservations, call 604-534-7469, or email reservations@langleyplayers.com.
Visit www.langleyplayers.com for more information.
