The plot is a pretty standard murder mystery; mysterious blonde, Laura Vesper (Meghan Gardiner) hires detective Sam Galahad (Andrew Wheeler) to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy heiress whose father has just committed suicide (or was he murdered?) The story is narrated by lounge singer, Buddy Toupee who occasionally narrates and occasionally interacts with the characters.
When I walked into the theatre, I was very intrigued by the set. It looked like a bar on one side and an old, run down office with a desk on the other. I'm always amazed by what PTE is able to do with their sets as they don't have a big budget like say, MTC, where they can change things around throughout. They do a really good job of utilizing different pieces to tell the story.
Photo from Winnipeg Free Press
I was very impressed by one of the characters, Buddy Toupee, who played the piano pretty much throughout the whole play. The musical wasn't your typical "Grease" or "Chicago" type where there are different songs with a clear start or finish. There was some dialogue but the music ran quite consistently throughout.
As with many PTE plays, there was a small cast - only three actors who played different characters. I'm always amazed by how the same person can put on a hat or a different coat and portray such a vastly different character than they were just portraying moments ago.
Overall, this play is worth seeing if you're into 1940s drama and you love a good mystery. It certainly didn't have me on the edge of my seat but it was entertaining and fun and perfect for a night out with my mama!
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