March is a time for murder at Calgary theatres

The cast of A Murder is Announced, a new production of an Agatha Christie murder mystery that opens at the Pumphouse Theatre next week

One of Alfred Hitchcock's most popular pictures was Dial M for Murder.

Maybe the 'M' he was talking about is March, on Calgary stages, when a pair of stories preoccupied with murder open.

At Vertigo Mystery Theatre, it's a new adaptation of Gaslight, an iconic Victorian-era suspense thriller about a woman being slowly driven mad living in the same home her aunt was murdered years earlier.

The twist in the new adaptation, written by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson, is that rather than having a detective arrive to sort out the psychodrama, this time around hero Bella unravels the mystery on her own.

"In this fresh take, Bella is the author of her own journey towards independence. Hers is the story of someone who has within them the power to save themselves. Gaslight is an exciting classic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat," says Vertigo artistic director Jack Grinhaus in a release.

A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED

And then next week, at the Pumphouse Theatre,  a new production of an adaptation (by Leslie Darbon) of Agatha Christie's novel  A Murder is Announced is being presented, directed by Louis B. Hobson, the same theatre critic whose day job is to review how well Bella gets gaslit over at the Vertigo.

Hobson, who reviews theatre for the Calgary Sun and the Herald and movies for CTV Calgary, took some time out from his busy schedule to talk about all things Agatha  last week.

In A Murder is Announced, when a stranger is murdered, all the guests – the original possible victims - become suspects.

The play features Miss Marple, one of Agatha Christie's most-beloved characters. And while the play is frequently produced at theatres in the UK, it's only been done once before in Calgary – in 1989, at the Pleiades Theatre, which is what they used to call Vertigo.

"Even if you’ve read or seen the play before, they feature such wonderfully eccentric characters and she is so honest with the clues she drops that, even if you know whodunit, it’s fun to see where she plants those clues," Hobson said, in an email reply to a question.

"Because A Murder Has Been Announced will be new to most audience members it will be great fun watching for the clues and trying to spot the killer before Miss Marple and Inspector Craddock do."

IMPACTING DIRECTION

Hobson said seeing thousands of plays and films does impact some of his directing choices.

"There’s no doubt things register consciously and unconsciously when I see a play that influences how I direct or write or, in the old days, acted. I think my experiences with film influence my stylistic approach to directing," he said.

Louis B. Hobson and CTV's Teri Fikowski

"Films have been a big influence on my approach to comedy in particular," he added.  "I’ve lost track of how many plays I’ve seen over the years and we’re talking 60-plus years."

The difference between being a critic and someone creating a show is sort of similar to the difference between watching a movie and playing an interactive video game.

"I love telling the story. I love how a play comes together from that initial reading to opening night," Hobson says. "It’s hard to describe the feeling when an actor makes a suggestion or asks a question that you never considered. Creating a production is so collaborative."

He's in his 70s now, but still manages to review shows and come on TV (and a radio station in Ontario) to review movies every week.

What's the secret?

"I thrive on being busy but especially at being creative," Hobson says.

A Murder is Announced opens March 10 at the Pumphouse. Gaslight starts previews March 18.