Actors shine in Kincardine Theatre Guild fast-paced murder mystery comedy

A good whodunit generally includes a bit of sarcasm and dry humour.

But the Kincardine Theatre Guild's production of "Murder by the Book" takes that a few steps further with a fast-paced murder mystery comedy that races from the sublime to the ridiculous until the murderer is revealed.

While the set and technical aspects are great, it's the acting that truly shines in this show, which opened Friday night at the Kincardine Arts Centre.

Of the six-member cast, four are new to the theatre guild and two are relatively new to acting, but you would be hard-pressed to figure out which was which.

Theatre guild veterans Liz Small and Jaki Mayer-Duggan, are joined by newcomers Dylan Trahan, Deb Tripp, Jennifer Neil and Jackie Simoes in this story about a group of creative "Ladies of Crime" murder mystery writers, all with their own secrets, who discover their friend and hostess murdered in her home. Add two dramatic police investigators and a couple of other suspicious characters and the result is a zany murder mystery comedy!

The police are intent on finding the murderer, while the writing group sees this as an opportunity to learn something about police procedures.

This cohesive group of actors takes the audience on a quick, roller-coaster ride from the discovery of the body, through the outrageous investigation, to the arrest of the murderer, complete with the purchase of a rutabaga.

 And together they reel in the crowd with line after hilarious line, and with such names as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Tom Watson and Jane Doyle.

It doesn't matter whether you like murder mysteries or crime stories or comedy, you will love this show. And if you want to find out whodunit and why they need a rutabaga, get a ticket and find out for yourself.
 

"Murder by the Book," written by Mat Kelly, continues May 28-30 and June 4-5 at 8 p.m., with one matinee June 6 at 2 p.m.
 

Tickets are $18 each, available at J'Adorn in downtown Kincardine or by calling 519-396-9000 (cash, cheque, debit or credit card accepted).