By Brian Wilford
Citizen Staff

The reason Arsenic and Old Lace ran for 1,444 performances on Broadway and became a hit movie is that it makes people laugh. Two sweet old ladies do lonely men a favour by putting them out of their misery and giving them a decent burial in the basement of their Brooklyn home. With this premise, a surprisingly large cast of 11 actors clearly has a lot of fun and the audience comes along for the ride. The Brewster sisters, played serenely by Margaret Martin and Kathleen West, are quiet, genteel church ladies, a little doddering but nonetheless determined.

Though they are at least tied for the lead as far as which Brewsters have killed the most people, they are nonetheless among the more understated, sane characters in this story. Aiding them on their mission of mercy is nephew Teddy, played joyfully by Neil Gallagher. He believes he is namesake Roosevelt, president of the United States, and is forever charging up San Juan Hill and digging ( and filling) the Panama Canal.

Nephew Mortimer, played by David Snider, has the part of the horrified discoverer of his aunties' hobby and does a wonderful job of over-the-top double-takes reminiscent of Cosmo Kramer of Seinfeld fame. Joshua Reynolds is thoroughly convincing as nephew Jonathan, a menacing and murderous gangster who succeeds for a time in bullying his more genteel relatives. He comes packaged with Dr. Einstein (not that Dr. Einstein), a quirky, eccentric killer in his own right, played creepily by Mitch Pollock in a manner which would make Peter Lorre proud.

They are ably supported by the lovely Samantha McKenna, playing Mortimer's fiance Elaine Harper, and a host of police officers played by Michael Charrois, Andrew Cooper, Brian Linds and Joel Redmond. As is often the case in Chemainus Theatre Festival productions, the outstanding set of the Brewster home in early 20th century Brooklyn promises a high-calibre performance from the moment one walks into the theatre.

This is a fine piece of farce rendered admirably by a talented cast and an accomplished artistic team. It's a great evening of laugh-out-loud fun. Before each performance, you can enjoy a sumptuous buffet in the Playbill Dining Room.