REVIEW: “Hollow” is perfect for actors, a bit long for audience
As the Agatha Christie mystery “The Hollow” nears its conclusion, patrons are left with a mixed blessing. And one confusing thought.
The blessing? A generally uniformly strong cast, many performing difficult characters, difficult parts; the opportunity the see actors losing themselves in their characters; to see a production that is a bit different than normal summer fare.
The other side of the blessing? It was too long. Simple as that. Just minutes shy of three hours, patrons grew restless and began rehearsing in their minds where the production could be trimmed. Add to that the mental exercise needed to keep up with an American cast striving to present their best British accents and, well, it was tiring. The “who” of the whodunnit came just in time.
Unfortunately, the “dunnit” of the whodunnit may not have come soon enough. Building the tension and setting the scenario in which the characters will try to work through a murder took several costume changes and pushed the production to intermission. There is also a constant reference by several characters to “something” that happened to the family in the past; something that no one wants to bring up, that is never resolved, seems immaterial to the story at hand, and slows down the pacing.
The cast, though, is top-drawer. With a setting of a English country manor south of London, we meet the odd Angkatell family, headed by Lady Angkatell, played by Jackie Fullmer, who has been called on for several substantial roles in this summer’s productions. Then there’s Sir Henry Angkatell (Lee Daily); Midge Harvey (Chrislynn Call), a niece; Henrietta Angkatell (Kindra Steenerson), another niece; Edward Angkatell (Kent Hadfield), a nephew; and the servants, with emphasis on butler Cudgeon (Jed Broberg). Visiting the home for the weekend is physician John Cristow (Philip R. Lowe) and his wife Gerda (Amy Lewis). An actress in love with Dr. Cristo, Veronica Graye, (played by Amber Dawn LaBau, doing her best Jessica Rabbit imitation) interrupts the serene setting.
After the murder — and, yes, you’ll have to see it to find out who is killed and who did the killing — we are introduced to Inspector Colquhoun (Ron King) and Detective Penny (Richie Call).
With the exception of Chrislynn Call’s first act, in which she raced though her lines with a stagey, memorized, ill-at-ease lilt, the cast developed their characters perfectly. Call did, in fact, get smoother as the production continued and settled in quite nicely at the play’s end.
Lowe proves to be the Old Lyric’s Tom Hanks. Once on stage, he no longer is an actor playing a part, but becomes — almost chameleon-like — the character. Whether a shy landlord, a mentally-challenged young man, a bumbling policemen or a member of a boy band (just some of the characters Lowe has taken on in recent seasons), he has the knack to make the audience forget they are watching Phillip Lowe.
Fullmer is asked to be absent-minded and ditsy and audience thoroughly enjoyed her effort. Lewis is called upon to wear the worst headgear and give the finest accent. Her soft-spoken, retiring Gerda had a dead-on South British accent and attitude. The use of silence to build the tension is well-done and there is often as much unspoken as is spoken.
A prelude with Henrietta on stage works well to introduce the audience to a marvelous set and stage design. In fact, Darrin Brooks’ set is almost dizzying in its perspective and use of the stage as it works to show us the size of the manor.
Oh, and the one confusing thought? Why Christie called her mystery “The Hollow” remains a mystery.
“The Hollow” is directed by Colin Johnson. Listed running time: 155 minutes, with a 10-minute intermission. Runs in repertory until Aug. 7.