Gallery 7 Theatre in Abbotsford presents its final production of the 2024-25 season starting on May 9.
The comedy The Play That Goes Wrong – written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields – runs through May 24 at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. 32315 South Fraser Way.
"Audiences are in for a hilarious night of theatre," says Ken Hildebrandt, managing artistic director of Gallery 7 Theatre.
"Anything that could possibly go wrong during a performance of a murder mystery does go wrong, and we watch with amazement as a desperate troupe of actors try to follow the old adage, 'The show must go on.'
"Our team is pulling out all the stops on the design front. The actors aren't the only performers on stage. I don't want to spoil too much but I can say the set will definitely take on a life of its own. Lots and lots of surprises are in store for audiences."
It's opening night, and members of the Cornley Drama Society are excited to present their latest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, a murder-mystery in the same vein as an Agatha Christie thriller.
But things soon go awry as the leading lady is hit unconscious, the corpse refuses to play dead and the actors trip over everything, including their lines.
Despite the mishaps, the accident-prone performers soldier on, intent on completing the performance while attempting to fool the audience into thinking that absolutely nothing is wrong.
Hildebrandt makes a return to the stage after a seven-year hiatus and plays the role of Chris, the head of the Cornley Drama Society and director of the murder mystery.
Playing the role of Robert/Thomas Colleymore is Koenraad Beugelink, who last appeared in Gallery 7 Theatre's production of Jeeves Intervenes.
Stephen Elcheshen takes on the role of Dennis/Perkins, while Hana Shiels plays Sandra/Florence Colleymore and Seth Schouten takes on the role of Max/Cecil Haversham.
Ruthie Mackenzie plays Annie, the society's stage manager and company stand-in; Thomas Smith plays Trevor, the society's long-suffering technical director, Trevor; and Evan Rachwalski plays Jonathan/Charles Haversham.
Playing members of the Cornely Drama Society's stage crew are Beth Gasser, Alex Walker and Victoria Zator.
Directing The Play That Goes Wrong is Kerri Norris, who last directed Jeeves Intervenes for Gallery 7 Theatre.
The Play That Goes Wrong runs May 9 and 10, 13-17 and 20-24, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. with matinees on May 10, 17 and 24 at 2 p.m.
Visit gallery7theatre.com or call 604-504-5940 for tickets or more information.
