Word: voles
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...play's material seems pretty standard. An unassuming married man, Leonard Vole, has been accused of murdering an elderly lady friend. Motives include a possible love affair and a large inheritance. There are the usual stock murder-mystery characters: the adoring wife, the disgruntled employee, the "by the books" detective, the brainy coroner, etc. Mixed together, these elements should add up to an interesting albeit hackneyed trial drama. Unfortunately, however, Christie's play unfolds monotonously as the ad nauseum repetition of the facts of the case substitutes for dramatic action or story development...
Although the play lacks in momentum and energy, its production is marked with some powerhouse performances. Aaron Zelman, as the accused, has a wondeful talent for generating sympathy from the audience. With his awkward and frazzled mannerisms and earnest outbursts, Zelman plays Vole as a victim of his own naivete. When the truth finally comes out about Vole and the trial, one truly feels betrayed. Mark Fish as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, Vole's attorney, provides an appropriate balance for Zelman's quirkiness. Tempering his strong voice and presence with genuine smiles and engaging body language, Fish manages to make...
...plot pivots on the character of Mrs. Romaine Vole, Leonard's wife. The talented Francesca Delbanco, somewhat miscast as the elusive and always mysterious German wife, is successful in giving the play its much needed jolts. Her scenes add both interest and dimension to this colorless play. Believable as the jilted lover, Delbanco is also able to take a cheesy De Palmaesque ending and give it legitimacy and seriousness...