Regional Theatre Review: Witness For The Prosecution- Bristol Riverside Theatre
Witness for the prosecution- photo by Mark Garvin
A traditional murder mystery with a giant cast donning all the British courtroom eccentricities (costume design by Gina Andreoli) and accents. Dialect coach Rebecca Simon deserves applause. The story revolves around the murder of an aged woman with a wealthy estate and her long time friend and potential murderer, well acted by Matt Leisy, and the witnesses surrounding the case. A real whodunnit, like all Christie material. Standout performances by Eleanor Handley, Sharon Alexander, and scene stealer James Luse as witnesses for the prosecution.
I was completely smitten by the scenic design by Jason Simms. He must have designed his set with scene change choreography in mind. As a veteran stage manager, I was enthralled by the execution of going from an elegant study to the cold dankness of a court room. Shout out to Production Stage Manager, JT Murtagh, for the exquisite scene changes in full stage lighting.
I’m not gonna lie. This type of show is not my cup of tea. I’m more of a razzle dazzle lover. However, the audience surrounding me enjoyed it minute by minute. Sadly, their were two very annoying patrons in the mezzanine with me. One, who was hacking up so much phlegm that she should have excused herself, and another woman who took an hour to eat her crackling bag of M&Ms. No joke, the woman was coughing so much that I missed the ending reveal of who the murderer was. Thankfully, the Christie aficionado next to me kept me informed from his verbal reactions to the plot.
If murder mysteries are your bag, GO! Directed by in-house Founding Director, Susan D. Atkinson, the production was well done and is sure to have someone in the very large cast that you have seen perform before!
INFORMATION
Agatha Christie’s Witness For The Prosecution runs until May 28th.
Bristol Riverside Theatre
120 Radcliffe St. Bristol, PA 19007
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