ENTITLED ‘The Hollow,’ Holsworthy Amateur Theatrical Society’s latest production, which ended its run at the HATS theatre last Saturday evening, September 2, is an Agatha Christie murder mystery, writes Christine Williams.

The ‘Hollow’ is a country house just outside London, the home of Sir Henry and Lady Lucy Angkatell who, as the play opens, have invited family members and friends for the weekend.

Among them is an intriguing tangled love web and when one of them is murdered nearly everyone has a motive and most have the opportunity. But who pulled the trigger? Enter the police to investigate the machinations and alibis of the characters, separate the clues from the red herrings and solve the crime.

At the centre of the web is a Harley Street doctor John Cristow, played by Dave King, a man who is romancing with three women, all of whom happen to be present. He is more interested in his favourite diseases than his patients towards whom he displays a callous attitude. Likewise towards his devoted and demure wife Gerda, played with beautifully judged primness by Leslie Wonnacott. Apparently slow-witted, her main concern is to fuss over her house and children but later she shows quite a different side to her character.

Ron Lester was well cast as a lordly and dignified Sir Henry Angkatell, the head of the family. Whatever the goings-on around him he never loses his aplomb, and apparently remains in charge. There were plenty of laughs in this play, many of them generated by the antics and dotty remarks of the eccentric Lady Lucy Angkatell, delightfully played by Sue Painter. She may walk into a room carrying a lobster, with no idea where or why she picked it up. Excited at her ‘first murder’, her main concern is that ‘murder does upset the servants’.

Kim Whiting played Midge Harvey, who appears to be the sanest member of her family. She works in a London dress shop rather than receive the family’s financial support. She adores Edward, the Angkatell’s son, a dull yet stable man, played by Mike Wonnacott, who still thinks of her as a child and has little interest, except possibly in his distant cousin Henrietta Angkatell. Owing to illness during the run of the play this role was admirably taken over by Stuart Davey. Di Sluggett played Henrietta, a sculptor who is the Harley Street lothario’s mistress. Di rose to the challenge of portraying the transition from a woman full of self-confidence to one on the edge of an emotional breakdown. Sarah Leach, a late recruit to the cast, made a breath-taking entrance in a stunning red gown as Veronica Craye, the glamorous new next-door neighbour, a film star and former lover of the doctor. Her acting was high octane when, having suddenly reappeared in his life, she displayed passion and verve in her efforts to pick up where they left off.

Colin Burton was the watchful butler, Gudgeon, who observes every detail of the affairs of the household and Pam Johns had fun portraying Doris, the kitchen maid in training. In the wake of the murder, a shrewd Scotland Yard inspector named Colquhoun played by Peter Whitehead and his down-to-earth assistant, Detective Sgt Penny (Charles Jeffrey-Hudson) are called in to work their way through the suspect list and try to determine who is guilty.

A feature of the production was the fine early 1950s upper-class costumes, in particular the women’s beautiful dresses with full skirts produced by Mary Barfett’s wardrobe team. The set, a well-appointed 1950s garden room, correct in every fine detail, was created by George and Sarah O’Connor, Alan Eyles and John Earles and the lighting and sound teams enhanced the dramatic effect with atmospherics at key moments.

Congratulations to director Eve Earles who got the best from a talented cast in this entertaining production which kept the audience guessing at the identity of the killer until the dying minutes of play.