"The Hollow"

August 6, 2015 — I love the Agatha Christie mysteries, so I had been looking forward to "The Hollow," one of the few Christie plays I hadn't seen, directed by Robert Shea for The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, now in its 85th season. Dr. John Cristow (Blair Hundertmark) and his wife, Gerda (Dee Nelson) have accepted an invitation from the Angkatells (Robert Bates and Vinette Cotter) to spend a weekend at the Hollow, the Angkatells' country estate. Dr. Cristow has jumped at the opportunity upon hearing his mistress, Henrietta (Anne-Marie Cusson) will also be present. Cristow's clueless wife is seemingly unaware of the affair. What Cristow doesn't expect is that a former mistress, Veronica Craye, a famous Hollywood actress (Madeleine Maby), will show up before the first evening is over. Also invited for the weekend are Midge (Anna Marie Sell), a distant cousin of the Angkatell's, and Edward Angkatell (Doug Shapiro). Also present are the butler, Gudgeon (Frank T. Wells), and a servant, Doris (Elizabeth Henle).

You just know this volatile mix can only mean trouble. At the end of the first evening, Dr. Cristow is shot dead. In typical Dame Agatha fashion, most of the large cast of characters is under suspicion. Each had motive and opportunity. The many rooms, doors, windows and surrounding woods make it easy for a killer to be undetected. An inspector (Dale Place) and his assistant (Greg Pike) are stymied by the conflicting witness accounts and confusing evidence. An inquest is inconclusive.

Could the killer be Cristow's wife, discovered standing over the body with a gun in her hand? Seems too obvious. What about Edward, who is known to have detested Cristow? Then there's that former mistress, the actress. Furious when Dr. Cristow spurns her advances, she makes some veiled threats. And what about the servant girl's account of seeing the butler standing outside a window holding a gun? The perpetrator won't be revealed until the final minutes.

Regrettably, I can't give this play unconditional praise. It seemed overlong, and the acting was a bit stiff, surprising since the large cast included the Barnstormers' best actors. They weren't really on their game for this first-night performance. The long play needs some fire and passion to keep the audience involved. Hopefully, the actors can put a little more life in their performances before the play ends its run.