CDS production ‘The Burning Man’ offers prizes
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from September 2001.
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This is a prize-winning play with a difference. In this case a member of the audience gets to win a prize by guessing who the villain is in this suspense thriller, being put on by the Cayman Drama Society at the Prospect Playhouse.
This latest production by CDS is "The Burning Man", which opens tonight at the Prospect Playhouse.
Written by playwright Tim Kelly, the play is
billed as an "Agatha Christie type mystery. Mr. Colin Wilson of the Cayman Drama Society and director of the play comments that the play has "its share of red herrings and very odd people turning up in the tradition of the wily lady writer".
The plot concerns an aristocratic lady who lives as a recluse in an isolated and gloomy hunting lodge in rural New Hampshire, USA. She is attended by
her butler.
Her husband had left her fifteen years ago when her mentally retarded son from her previous marriage killed the husband's son from a previous marriage. The son was committed to a mental institution where it is alleged he died a few years later. But did he.
The play opens with the news that the husband died three months previously under suspicious
circumstances. The wife is forced to open her door to two of her husband's relatives for the reading of the will. The husband's lawyer and a private detective soon arrive, followed by a dubious looking policeman.
The private detective tells the wife that he had been hired by her late husband. He produces a letter supposedly written and signed by the husband two months after his death.
At the end of the will reading it is learned that there is a missing nephew, and if he should be found within a year, the husband's wealth will pass to him, leaving everyone else with nothing.
Thus is set the scene for what Mr. Wilson describes as a "very entertaining evening of fun to keep everybody guessing who the murder(s) is (are)".
Mr. Wilson says that at the interval the audience will be invited to guess who the villain is. A prize will be given for the best and nearest correct solution at the end of every performance.
Producers for the play are Angel Borden and Helen Godfrey.
The cast is made up of Kate Izon as the wife, and Tony Rowlands as her
butler; Vanessa Hansen and Pat Steward play the two relatives; Peter Riley plays the lawyer and Martin Tedd the private detective, with Rick Glass as the policeman.
The set was designed by Peter Phillips with the assistance of Dennis Hue's artistic talents.
This week the play runs for two nights - Friday and Saturday (21-2 September. There are three performances next
week - Thursday, Friday and Saturday (27-29 September). In October there are four performance - Thursday to Sunday (4-7). Dinner nights are on the Saturdays and the Sunday only.
Tickets are $15 adults, $10 children and $35 dinner. Tickets are available from Phillips Electrical on Shedden Road. For reservations call Omeria on 949-5054.
Cast members (from left) Vanessa Hansen (relative), Peter Riley (lawyer), Rick Glass (policeman) and Martin Tedd (private detective).
Cast members (from left) Kate Izon (wife), Tony Rowlands (butler) and Pat Steward (relative).
