By JOHN BONAZZO
THEATER CRITIC
The Mimes and Mummers faced a seemingly insurmountable obstacle when the rights to their planned second slot show, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, were revoked less than two weeks before opening(her family is planning a Broadway revival).
Their ingenious solution was to stage The Real Inspector Hound, Tom Stoppard’s farcical take on The Mousetrap. The show contains many absurdist elements, but overall is a hilarious night of theater.
The play is framed around two theater critics: Moon, a substitute for the indisposed regular critic, and Birdboot, a ladies man with a keen eye for young actresses. They are watching a production of a murder mystery, in which a madman is on the loose. The residents of Lady Muldoon’s country home, particularly the parlor maid, Mrs. Drudge, are following the news on the radio. Lady Muldoon and her friend Felicity welcome Simon, a mysterious old friend, to the house. They, along with Magnus, Lady Muldoon’s wheelchair-bound brother-in law, are shaken when Inspector Hound comes to their home to look for clues on the madman. Eventually Moon and Birdboot are sucked into the action, leading to a madcap climax.
Director Evan Tsitsias keeps the action flowing at an appropriately brisk pace. Many complications pile up, but the show never feels rushed (impressive for a play that is only 65 minutes). He has also made the choice to have the audience seated on stage, which makes for the more intimate atmosphere that a show of this type requires.
The set is quite ornate by Mimes standards, but this fits. No murder mystery is complete without a drawing room filled with all manner of furniture and paintings, and a grand piano. The show also features sinister, effective sound effects, inventively deployed by onstage foley artist Pam Zazzarino, FCRH ’14.
This show has a top-drawer cast. As Felicity and Lady Muldoon, the ingénues of the “play within a play,” Sarah Hill, FCRH ’17 and Laura Hetheringtion, FCRH ’17 are alternately innocent and sophisticated. Nick Motlenski, ‘16 is terrific as Magnus, the crippled soldier who is not all he seems to be. Alexis Jimenez, ‘16 is hilarious as Mrs. Drudge, who does awful things with her feather duster. Matthew Conrado, ‘17 is suitably charming as the enigmatic Simon. Matt Mayer, FCRH ’17 is wonderful as Inspector Hound, who memorably exhibits some characteristics of the animal he is named after; he and Conrado also take on interesting roles in the show’s climax.
The critics, however, steal the show, getting Stoppard’s best lines. Their discussions of their craft are quite amusing, whether or not one is familiar with these types of people. Jacob Benoit, ’17 expertly keeps his sharp critical eye, even as Birdboot falls for the leading lady. Jonathan O’Neill, FCRH ’15, illuminates the critical process while lamenting his station as a runner-up; he has the best monologue of the show, which concludes, “Stand-ins of the world, stand up!”
Despite the short rehearsal time and short running time, The Real Inspector Hound is a fully hilarious night of murder mystery farce. Get to the Collins Theater this weekend to have your funny bone tickled by great actors speaking smart dialogue.
