One woman play about a whodunit, murder mystery.
Murder At Warrabah House is a one-woman, whodunit, murder mystery-type play. You’d think that a play of this nature would be extremely difficult to pull off by one woman alone. You’d be correct. A play featuring one person can pretty much only go two ways. It can either go horribly wrong or incredibly well. Murder At Warrabah House went the way of the latter.
The story is set in Melbourne circa 1928. World famous detective, Arthur Parrish, and his sister, Hattie, accept an invite to the Kyneton home of the famously wealthy McCutcheon family. While there we’re introduced to various characters include the matriarch, the daughter, the son, the alcoholic uncle and the maid. On the first evening a mystery begins to unfold which results in a murder. What ensues next is a clever narrative and unravelling of an interesting story.
Samantha Hill plays all of the above characters with flawless skill. She flits from character to character with schizophrenic wonder. After the first five minutes one forgets that there is just one actress playing all these roles. Hill discerns between characters by simply changing the delivery and timbre of her voice. Her costume, which is made up simply of a red shirt and black pants, remains untouched throughout. The set is sparse, consisting of a chair, a desk, a table and a painting, which form multipurpose props for Hill. The lighting plays a huge part in setting the scene and mood of the story.
Overall, this play is superbly executed. Hill’s performance is worthy of high praise. It’s no mean feat to remember so many lines of multiple characters and pull it off without a hitch.
The play runs until Saturday March 5 at Studio 246 (rear of 246a Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Entry via Merri Street). Tickets are $15 and can be booked by calling 0412 754 817 or emailing [email protected].
