A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery Hell in a Handbag Productions

Extended to Aug 13th.

Thu-Sat 730pm, Sun 3pm

(except Aug 4, 11)

 

 

"Cerda's entertaining script features clever wordplay, an abundance of sexual innuendos and a few Easter eggs for Christie fans.. the show provides two zany hours of escapism, a welcome distraction from the daily onslaught of depressing headlines" - Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune


"A Fine Feathered Murder" on its own terms: parodic pageantry of buffoonish characters dealing in quirks, quips, double-entendres... maybe even murder. Some audience members may be skeptical of endorsing light fare like "Fine Feathered Murder" given recent events..Perhaps what this production can offer in addition to a couple hours' reprieve is a story where justice is assured by the end. For now, that's reason enough" - Nathaniel Fishburn, NewCity Chicago 6/30/22

 

PLEASE NOTE: Hell in a Handbag requires proof of vaccination and wearing of mask while viewing perofrmance. 

 

Run Time 2.5 hr + 10 min intermission

 

buy tickets

05/28/22 - 07/31/22



Review: A parody of Agatha Christie, ‘A Fine Feathered Murder' is heavy on farce and light on plot
By Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune 6/28/22

Kooky characters, bawdy humor and poultry of unusual size: all are on offer at "A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery," a world premiere by Hell in a Handbag Productions. Written by artistic director David Cerda and directed by Cheryl Snodgrass, the raucous comedy parodies one of Agatha Christie's most beloved characters - Miss Jane Marple, the kindly old woman from a quaint English village whose keen understanding of human nature and powers of observation make her a formidable amateur detective.


Cerda's entertaining script features clever wordplay, an abundance of sexual innuendos and a few Easter eggs for Christie fans. Unfortunately, several of the jokes fell flat on opening night; in some cases, actors stumbled over lines, while others did not time their delivery for maximum effect. These unpolished elements are understandable, since the first two preview performances were canceled and opening night was postponed. Such issues likely will be ironed out with more time in front of audiences.


Ed Jones stars as Miss Jane Marbled, giving an understated and somewhat uneven performance as the septuagenarian sleuth. With her lively and endearing niece, Vivian Birdsong (Caitlin Jackson), Miss Marbled travels to the Fowler Estate, the largest poultry farm in England, to attend the Fine Feathered Ball. At this annual costume party, an eccentric cast of guests, Fowler family members and domestic staff don the plumage of various bird species. The efforts of costume designers Beth Laske-Miller and Bill Morey, wig designer Keith Ryan and makeup designer Sydney Genco shine in the motley assortment of avian-inspired looks.

Several comedic performances stand out among the ensemble, including Tyler Anthony Smith as Charles Fowler. An only child who still lives at home at age 34 and shows no sign of producing an heir, his primary interests lie in the flashy hairstyles and fashions of the 1960s - and in flirting with pompous society columnist Nigel Drake (Michael Hampton). For the evening's entertainment, Charles performs a hilariously earnest interpretive dance meant to portray a day in the life of a young chick, flitting about in an orange and yellow body suit and wielding feathered fans.

Rounding out the wacky Fowler family is Lady Violetta (David Cerda) - a sarcastic, much-aggrieved woman who is a bit too old to pull off the peacock costume she wears to the ball - and Lord Reginald (Shane Roberie), a lecherous husband and sleazy business owner. Danne W. Taylor is the Dowager Countess Edith Fowler, an extra-crusty version of the trope associated with Maggie Smith's acerbic character in "Downton Abbey."
The party ends abruptly when Lord Fowler is discovered dead in his study, and the investigative skills of Miss Marbled - not to be confused with the fictional Miss Marple, as she insists - are called into service. It soon becomes apparent that many suspects have a possible motive for killing the victim: not only his own family members, but also fellow poultry breeder Treasure Abundance (Coco Sho-Nell); Gerta, the deadpan German housekeeper (Sydney Genco); Garson, the butler and holder of dark family secrets (Michael Rashid); Chick, a Fowler farm employee who bears an uncanny resemblance to a rooster (Nicky Mendelsohn); Prudence, a flighty burlesque dancer (Maria Stephens), and more.


Heavy on farce and light on plot, "A Fine Feathered Murder" does not take the typical twists and turns of a Christie mystery. To be sure, there are plenty of amusing surprises, including an amorous liaison for Miss Marbled and the appearance of several hauntingly large chickens. (Regarding the latter, the excellent puppetry of Jabberwocky Marionettes deserves a nod).
However, audiences should not expect the complex unraveling of clues and the satisfying reveal of the detective's train of reasoning found in Christie's novels and plays. The show is a comedic sendup of the genre, not a serious whodunit - a point reinforced by characters occasionally breaking the fourth wall or self-consciously using 21st century vernacular. If "The Play That Goes Wrong" had a raunchier older sister, it might look like "A Fine Feathered Murder."
Despite the hiccups on opening night, the show provides two zany hours of escapism, a welcome distraction from the daily onslaught of depressing headlines. There's no need for prior knowledge of the Miss Marple mysteries to appreciate this parody, although Christie aficionados who don't take their fandom too seriously will get a kick out of it. "A Fine Feathered Murder" is best enjoyed by leaving the kids at home, grabbing a drink and embracing the campy performances, outrageous plot twists and a hearty dose of bird-themed innuendos.


A Feather-Light Comedy: A Review of "A Fine Feathered Murder" by Hell in a Handbag - Nathaniel Fishburn NewCity Chicago 6/30/22


Could you solve the mystery in Hell in a Handbag's "A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery"? With a lucky guess, perhaps. But if you're hung up on the loose plotting, you've lost the point. If you've ever rewatched the 1985 film "Clue," a clear reference point for "Fine Feathered Murder," you quickly pick up that every piece of evidence is a red herring. There never was a solution. The pageantry was what mattered, with each character getting the spotlight as the eye of suspicion passed over them. The Hell in a Handbag team understands and leans into this, making the murder-mystery genre fit the company's melodramatic camp sensibilities like an elbow-length glove.

With that in mind, we can see "A Fine Feathered Murder" on its own terms: parodic pageantry of buffoonish characters dealing in quirks, quips, double-entendres... maybe even murder.

"A Fine Feathered Murder" follows Miss Marbled (Ed Jones), a parody of Agatha Christie's amateur spinster detective Miss Marple, and her precocious, naive niece Vivian Birdsong (Caitlin Jackson) as they visit chicken-farm magnates Lord Reginald Fowler (Shane Roberie) and Lady Violetta Fowler (David Cerda) at their estate for the Fine Feathered Ball. As more guests arrive, Reginald's cruel treatment of his family and business partners paints a target on his back big enough to roost on. When he's inevitably murdered, Miss Marbled must solve the case while dodging the misogynistic and bumbling Inspector Byrd (also Shane Roberie, trying his best to solve his own murder).

Since following the mystery isn't essential, the real focus and fun is watching an ensemble of quirky suspects bounce off each other as they maneuver to avoid suspicion. The ensemble's performances strive to make each character distinct and memorable, in no small part thanks to costume designers Beth Laske-Miller and Bill Morey, wig designer Keith Ryan, and makeup designer Sydney Genco. Everyone gets a moment to shine: an interpretive dance by fabulous and temperamental man-child Charles Fowler (Tyler Anthony Smith); the debut of a monstrous rooster and double-entendre by Fowler's American business partner, Treasure Abundance (Coco Sho-Nell); the omnipresent German maid as severe as her unibrow, Gerta (Sydney Genco); and the resident "chicken whisperer," Chick (Nicky Mendelsohn) who might be more bird than human, and more.


Amid the ensemble's high-camp fun is an unfortunately overshadowed title character. Miss Marbled is faithful to her role model, aside from when, on the night this reviewer saw the show, her dialect migrated from the British Isles to the Transatlantic between scenes. Still, the septuagenarian sleuth shtick seems too restrictive for this parody. If we're to see further installments of Miss Marbled's adventures-and I hope we do-we'd like to see her stand out from the crowd as more than a side character in her own story.

True to Hell in a Handbag's style, the jokes come fast, frequent and dirty ("You're a blue tit." "Well, there is a chill in the room!"). When they land, they land hard; when they don't, they really don't. One such example is an unclear recurring-ish joke that Miss Marbled doesn't want to be confused with Miss Marple. Is this a meta-theatrical bit, or does Miss Marple exist elsewhere in the play as a rival detective? Will she show up at the end in a kind of Deus-ex-Agatha? Yet these head-scratchers are fewer and further between, leaving us with a light comedy full of zingers and purposefully scene-chewing performances.

Some audience members may be skeptical of endorsing light fare like "Fine Feathered Murder" given recent events-that common question, "Why this play now?" Yet it's not as if the comedy in this production is entirely escapist. The gravity of David Cerda's line, "Wherever there is a man, there is evil," sent ripples through the Saturday night audience. Perhaps what this production can offer in addition to a couple hours' reprieve is a story where justice is assured by the end. For now, that's reason enough.

 

Author
David Cerda

Director
Cheryl Snodgrass

Performers
Cast (in alphabetical order): David Cerda* (Lady Violetta Fowler), Sydney Genco* (Gerta Rabe), Michael Hampton (Nigel Drake), Rosalind Hurwitz (Mrs. Hawk), Caitlin Jackson* (Vivian Birdsong), Ed Jones* (Miss Jane Marbled), Max McKune (Constable Hatcher), Nicky Mendelsohn* (Chick), Michael Rashid* (Garson), Shane Roberie (Lord Reginald Fowler/Inspectory Byrd), Elizabeth Rude (Millicent Lark), Tyler Anthony Smith* (Charles Fowler) Maria Stephens (Prudence Peck) and Danne W. Taylor* (The Dowager Countess Edith Fowler). Understudies: Barbara Figgins, Chad Gearig-Howe, Kristen Secrist, Ben Stacy, Robert Williams

Production
Bill Morey and Beth Laske-Miller (costume design), Pamela L. Parker (set design), Liz Cooper (lighting design) Keith Ryan* (wig design), Sydney Genco* (make-up design), Jabberwocky Marionettes (puppetry), Sammi Grant (dialect coach), Abby Teel (production manager), Hannah Dains (props design), Danny Rockett (sound design/music), Spencer Douglas Clark (Ass?t director/intimacy/choreography) and Drew Donnelly* (stage manager).

Tags: Theater, American, 2022