'The Murder Game' opened at Kucom Theatre on Thursday night (11 April) for a two-week season. Directed by Maureen Coleman, the play has been described as ‘a gripping melodrama that delves into the complexities of love, betrayal, and the dark allure of a perfect crime’.
Not your straightforward ‘Whodunnit’ (the ‘who’ is pretty much apparent right from the start), more of a ‘Why-dunnit’.
Brian (played by Dennis Rozekrans) is financially dependent on his wife Sheila (Carolyn Roche), happily living off her money while planning to replace her with a younger model, June (Lani Seaton). It would be of considerable advantage to him if Sheila were to die.
Gerry, Brian's new friend (played by Michael Brennan), suggests a ‘foolproof’ method. Willingly complicit but naïve, Brian realises too late that Gerry has his own horrific agenda: to commit the perfect crime and subsequently take a hostage for life.
The script is crafted in such a way that makes the audience want to shout out ‘Don’t let him in’ or ‘Get out of there now’. Every step of the journey involves a choice, and in true thriller style, each choice that is made delivers the character into greater danger. We watch helplessly as the rebarbative Gerry oils his way into an already failing domestic situation, using it for his own nefarious purpose.
Rozekrans and Brennan play well off each other as the two main protagonists - Brian splutters with impotent rage as Gerry’s net tightens around him, while the smiling assassin calmly and inexorably takes control of their lives.
As Sheila and June, Roche and Seaton turn in strong performances as the wealthy wife and the grasping girlfriend.
The Kucom venue is relatively intimate and lends itself to subtlety, so every nuance can be appreciated. This was reflected in the lighting - unobtrusive but effective, with dramatic highlights at critical moments – and the sound, with a tense and foreboding musical background that you feel rather than hear, and the recurrent theme of 'Killing Me Softly' which takes on sinister connotations as the plot thickens.
A special shout-out to co-director Kath Evans, whose Elvira-inspired introduction to the performance set the tone for what was to come.
'The Murder Game' is now playing at Kucom Theatre, 1 Snow Wright Court, Andergrove.
Season dates: 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 April at 7.30pm, with a matinee at 2pm on Sunday 14 April.
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/the-murder-game or phone Kucom’s Public Relations Officer on 0419756840.
Carolyn Roche who plays Brian’s wife, Sheila
Lani Seaton and Dennis Rozekrans. Dennis plays Brian, who wants to get rid of his wealthy wife Sheila (played by Carolyn) and marry June (played by Lani)
Michael Brennan plays Gerry, the friend who offers to murder Brian’s wife for him
