A Delightful Romp Through Trickery and Misdirection
REVIEW by ANTHONY CHASE
Rupert Holmes' Accomplice, currently playing at Lancaster Opera House, is a delightful romp through the world of comedy thrillers. Known for his Broadway musicals like The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Curtains, Holmes brings his signature wit and clever plot twists to this engaging production, directed by Fran Landis. As the curtain rises on this English countryside setting, audiences should be ready for an evening of unexpected turns, meta-theatrical surprises, and laugh-out-loud moments.
On the surface, we seem to have landed in a straightforward English thriller where “adultery and murder are in the air.” It's "Midsomer Murders," and everyone is either a potential victim or murderer, and a vital witness scheduled to be questioned in the morning will undoubtedly be bumped off tonight.
Lancaster seems to have a particular affection for the form, having done Rehearsal for Murder in 2024, Clue in 2023, and Deathtrap in 2019. Last year also saw Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring, which is arguably a thriller parody.
Accomplice begins at the weekend retreat of the affluent Derek and Janet Taylor, a stylish moorland cottage in autumn, a remote location worthy of Agatha Christie. The initial setup involves the familiar formula of the sex-starved wife plotting to murder her stuffy husband. But nothing is as it seems in this delicious game of trickery and misdirection. As the plot thickens, we're introduced to a second couple, and relationships and motives become increasingly tangled.
In this genre, it's standard to say that the plot keeps audiences guessing until the very end, but in this case, the shifting plot constantly challenges the audience's perceptions. Just when we think we've figured out who's doing what to whom, the tables turn, and a new scenario and context are introduced. Moreover, what begins as thriller evolves into farce before morphing again unexpectedly.
The thriller is an enduring genre and one that has scored some impressive hits. A list of notable titles traces the evolution and popularity of the form. Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton (1941); Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott (1952); Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie (1954); Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott (1966); Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer (1970); Deathtrap by Ira Levin (1978); Perfect Crime by Warren Manzi (1987); and more recently, Job by Max Wolf Friedlich (2024).
The thriller format is not a surefire formula for success. Moose Murders (1983) and Sleight of Hand (1987), attempts to duplicate the success of Sleuth and Deathtrap, famously tanked, and revivals are an iffy proposition. Revivals of both Deathtrap (2010), and Sleuth (2001) bombed.
The challenge is to toy with the expectations of an audience that is well-tuned to the usual tricks and red herrings. With his use of meta theatricality, Holmes successfully keeps us off balance.
While revealing too much about the plot would certainly spoil the experience, it's safe to say that Accomplice is a masterful blend of mystery, comedy, and meta-theatricality as it teases with our expectations and understanding of what's real within the context of the story. I will say that at the conclusion, when all is revealed, we must concede that Holmes gave us all the clues up front. The solution was in plain sight the whole time.
The production boasts a game and talented cast, all of whom are familiar to the Lancaster Opera House audience: Luke Halferty, Tara Kaczorowski, John Kaczorowski, and Sydney Conrad. Director Landis, wisely stays out of their way, maintaining brisk pace as she guides this skillful crew on their witty journey, assaying the numerous character types of the thriller genre. These include, in addition to the inevitable affluent and sophisticated couple, the trophy wife, the successful businessman, the charming rogue, the femme fatale and of course ... the titular accomplice.
John Kaczorowski, an actor endowed with a sparkling dry wit, takes on the role of Derek Taylor, the wealthy, sophisticated English businessman, playing the part with an air of stuffiness and punctuality, delivering his lines with elegant crispness and maintaining impeccable poise throughout. His performance provides the perfect foil for Tara Kaczorowski's Janet Taylor, Derek's free-spirited, reckless, and woefully frustrated wife.
While the whole cast excels, this production particularly allows Tara Kaczorowski to shine as a villainous leading lady. She brilliantly channels her inner Barbara Stanwyck to embody intelligent, alluring, and devious Janet. After seeing Kaczorowski portray a series of cheerful wives and charismatic girlfriends, watching her rise to this villainous occasion as she plots against her unsuspecting husband (played by her real-life spouse, John Kaczorowski), is a joy.
Luke Halferty, an MFA graduate of the prestigious Point Park University program in Pittsburgh has worked extensively in the Pittsburgh area and across the country. He is making a return visit to the Opera House, having last been seen here as charming and stubborn factory manager Sid Sorokin in The Pajama Game, a performance I admired very much. In Accomplice, he takes on the role of Jon, embodying the character’s middle-class English roots and his newfound wealth as Derek's financial partner with verve. A versatile and charismatic actor, his smooth-talking, self-assured portrayal captures Jon's love for the finer things in life - money, drink, and women - as he juggles his marriage to Melinda with his affair with Janet.
And finally, Sydney Conrad as Melinda, Jon's wife. She was enchanting as feisty Babe Williams in The Pajama Game opposite Halferty’s Sid. On this outing, she brings a delightfully nervous effervescence to Melinda who seems, at first, not to be particularly bright. The performance blooms, however, when Conrad reveals the full dimension of the role. I’ll say no more.
As the characters shift roles and identities, the cast deftly maintains a delicate balance between comedy and suspense, capably steering us through the twists and turns of a most satisfying evening, filled with tongue-in-cheek thrills and unbridled laughter.
Excellent special effects are provided by Nicholas Quinn, which I cannot describe without ruining them. We were, literally, sworn to secrecy at the end of the show. The set is by Lou Iannon, a perfunctory English country cottage, suitable for murder in any of number of plays, with handsome costumes by hardworking Timmy Goodman.
The production continues through February 16, 2025. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30; Sundays at 2;30. Tickets are $35 for adults; $33 for seniors; and $20 for students.
The Lancaster Opera House is located at 21 Central Avenue in Lancaster.
THRILLER SIDEBAR:
Since local theaters seem addicted to the genre, here is a chronological list of notable stage thrillers, some hits, some misses.
The Bat - Mary Roberts Rinehart & Avery Hopwood (1920)
Rope’s End (Rope) - Patrick Hamilton (1929)
Night Must Fall - Emlyn Williams (1936)
Ladies in Retirement - Edward Percy & Reginald Denham (1940)
Angel Street (Gaslight) - Patrick Hamilton (1941)
Sorry, Wrong Number - Lucille Fletcher (1943)
Dial M for Murder - Frederick Knott (1952)
Witness for the Prosecution - Agatha Christie (1954)
The Unexpected Guest - Agatha Christie (1958)
Wait Until Dark - Frederick Knott (1966)
Sleuth - Anthony Shaffer (1970)
Night Watch - Lucille Fletcher (1972)
Veronica's Room - Ira Levin (1973)
Deathtrap - Ira Levin (1978)
Perfect Crime - Warren Manzi (1987)
Sleight of Hand - John Pielmeier (1987)
The Woman in Black - Stephen Mallatratt (1987)
Accomplice - Rupert Holmes (1990)
Death and the Maiden - Ariel Dorfman (1991)
The Pillowman - Martin McDonagh (2005)
Misery - William Goldman (2015)
Job - Max Wolf Friedlich (2023)
THE BAT
The most successful thriller you’ve never heard of is undoubtedly The Bat, a three-act play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood that premiered on Broadway in 1920. It's a mystery-comedy that combines elements of suspense, humor, and horror. Like Accomplice, The Mousetrap, and Deathtrap, the action takes place over a single night in a large, isolated mansion, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere.
The play was adapted from Rinehart's 1908 novel The Circular Staircase, with significant changes including the addition of the titular villain, and the plot revolves around Cornelia Van Gorder and her guests as they face mysterious events: threatening letters, power outages, and sightings of the Bat.
A massive hit, The Bat ran for 867 performances, making it the third longest running Broadway show in history up to that time – after Abie’s Irish Rose and Lightnin’. Its initial Broadway run spawned multiple touring companies, and the play would be revived in 1937 and 1953. The play inspired numerous adaptations and even influenced the creation of the Batman comic book character; Bob Kane, Batman's co-creator, explicitly cited The Bat Whispers as one of his inspirations and is the source for such details as the bat-like mask and cape, the bat signal, and the dark and mysterious Gotham setting.
Forgotten today, The Bat's success and influence have nonetheless cemented its place as a classic of the American stage, particularly in the thriller genre.
