COLD Theatre 7 returns with Agatha Christie thriller
Returning to the stage after 2019’s ‘Grease - The Musical’, COLD Theatre 7 will stage their production of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery classic, ‘Witness for the Prosecution’. The taut courtroom drama will go on the boards at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from November 17 - 20.
Set in 1950’s London, the charge is murder and the case against the accused, Leonard Vole, seems overwhelming. He insists he’s innocent, but it all rests on the testimony of his wife, Romaine. Convinced of Vole’s innocence, barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts takes the case but faces stiff opposition from Myers, the prosecuting attorney as surprising testimonies in court follow.
Director Kevin Cruze says it’s the company’s third Christie production following 2013’s ‘And then there were none’ and 2015’s ‘The Mouse Trap’.
“My plan was, in our seventh year, because we associate with the number seven, to come back to Agatha Christie,” says Kevin.
Originally set to premiere in 2020 to correspond with their seventh anniversary, the play was postponed following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was postponed once again in 2021 when further lockdown periods ensued. With rehearsals primarily through Zoom, the cast adapted to the shift online.
“It was a wholly different experience than usual when we were so close to performing the play last year, only to have to stop and now pick things up again and start from scratch,” says cast member Mahesh Senaratne.
The cast comprises Taariq Jurangpathy as Leonard Vole, Melanie Bibile as Romaine Vole, Abbasali Rozais as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, Mahesh Senaratne as Mr. Myers, Niren Ranasinghe as John Mayhew, Dinushka Jayawickrema as Janet Mackenzie, Kovindu De Seram as Inspector Hearne, Yohan Kurera as Dr. Wyatt, Mithara Fonseka as Greta, Hashen Ratnayake as Justice Wainwright, Harshana Rathnayake as The Clerk of the Court, Yusuf Sheriff as The Policeman and Amenthi Weerasinghe as Ms. Barton.
While some may already be familiar with Christie’s original short story and play, Kevin assures that they will still be surprised by the production. “It’s all to do with the acting - all of these actors are so different especially with their styles.”
Asked what the audience can look forward to, Abbasali Rozais says, “We hope that instead of taking something away from the play, the audience will be able to leave something behind - some of their cares and worries, and get immersed in the evening and enjoy the experience.”
Leading up to the opening night of the production, the cast and crew are releasing additional material on their social media platforms to build up interest for the play. On October 23, they released their first music video, a rendition of Doris Day’s ‘Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps’, performed by Melanie Bibile.
This amateur production of ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. (www.concordtheatricals.co.uk). It willbe performed at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from November 17- 20th.
Tickets are priced at Rs. 1000, Rs. 1500, Rs. 2000, Rs. 3000 and Rs. 4000 and will be available the Lionel Wendt.
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