February 2025
Murder For Two
For this month, WRAC will share memories and information from Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s recent touring show. On February 23, at 1:30 p.m., the RMTC crew rolled up in a huge truck and a large minivan, both loaded to the hilt. The previous night, they’d presented their Arborg show, and were keen to stage the award-winning play, “Murder for Two” in the Lac du Bonnet Community Centre.
With assistance from volunteers, the crew swung into action and hauled in dozens of sand bags, boxes, bins, and miscellaneous gear. Then they began to assemble the intricate components of set, lighting, and sound systems. Local help included Stan Kelly, Cathy Gregg, Donna Besel, Mac Kinghorn, Jennifer Hudson Stewart and her kids, Hannah and Hudson, and Shelley Street and husband Tim. Joan Marion and husband Gary showed up to run the bar; Paul and Laraine Lussier assisted with setting up chairs. And the show needed many, many chairs.
Starring in-demand Winnipeg actors Melanie Whyte and Duncan Cox, “Murder for Two” offered its unique combination of perplexing murder mystery, witty songs, lively piano playing, antic physical comedy, and nonstop laughs. With Cox portraying Marcus, a small-town, newbie cop and Whyte portraying an assortment of 10 (or 11) sleazy suspects of varying culpability and a trio of strange child bystanders, the play zipped along at lightning speed.
As Kelly Thorton, RMTC’s artistic director, noted in the program, “a “two-hander” is one of the most difficult shows to produce.” And “Murder for Two” definitely upped the ante for this genre. Whyte’s quick switches from character to character – along with both actor’s comedy chops, dancing, singing, and musicianship – dazzled the audience.
