Murder Most Foul in ‘No Traveller Returns’
Something is rotten in the district of Muskoka in 1895, and after a terrible storm occurs, the guests and inhabitants of Mourne Valley Inn are stuck together to determine which one of them has committed a foul and most unnatural murder.
Written by Officer of the Order of Canada Maureen Jennings and directed by Lise Lindenburg, No Traveller Returns opened the fourth ever season of Théâtre Roulant this past Thursday. The Prince Edward County-based company boasts being “Canada’s only horse drawn theatre caravan,” and this year they have settled on the front lawn of The Waring House for Théâtre at the Roundabout. The partnership between The Waring House and Théâtre Roulant creates a unique pre-show experience in which staff from the Waring House’s restaurant will take audiences’ orders if they wish so that they can grab a meal or a drink while watching the performance.
My ticket for the show read 6:00 PM, so I showed up precisely on time to find that the start time was not of the play itself, but was of the preshow musicians, Grayscalemusic. The band played for an hour, featuring Alfie Latanski on guitar and Jon Roblin on piano, sax, flute, and clarinet. The scene was magical: the limestone exterior of the historic home, surrounded by nature and the sound of bossa nova guitar is a perfect precursor to almost any show. Following the music, the founders of Théâtre Roulant (Conrad Beaubien and John Burns) gave brief remarks to open the production, and noted how much the company has grown in their four years. The growth is clear; from past photos one can see that the stage is larger, they have added pipe and drape for smoother entrances of performers, and they have set up a large tent to act as a backstage area. This is a company that makes it clear they are only just getting started.
The unique setting of their hay wagon-turned-travelling stage has so much charm, but it also comes with its challenges. Being outdoors the wind blew a few props out of place and created feedback from the mics picking up each strong gust. The inability to do a proper blackout when there is natural lighting also created some brief awkward moments where the actors would simply get up and exit out of character following a scene. Despite these issues momentarily breaking my escapism, they could not hinder the overall quality of Jennings’ writing.
Being the creator of the characters seen in Murdoch Mysteries, it should come as no surprise that Jennings expertly navigates the whodunnit structure and historical setting, but she also puts some of her other writing strengths on the stage. One of the characters, The Great Prospero (James Fraser) is a travelling magician and thespian, whom Jennings uses as a vessel to point out some of her clever references, including the show’s title: “The undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveller returns” (Hamlet 3.1.80-81). Her comedic chops come through in the character of Ms. Woodstock (Wendy Roy), who regularly uses malapropisms such as: “All this talk of men dying is utterly decomposing.” The regular use of this comedic tool may in itself be a subtle nod to the theatre by Jennings, as the source of the word “malapropism” actually stems from Ms. Malaprop from the Georgian era play The Rivals by Richard Sheridan. This sophisticated wit is subtle enough that some of the jokes could go unnoticed, but once I caught one, I was constantly on the lookout for more.
The entire play was interspersed with music composed and played live by Kingston’s own Howard Lopez, whose musical stings punctuated moments of both suspense and humour to great effect. His compositions also brought a delightful Western feel to the earlier moments of the production, with honky-tonk piano stylings of original pieces as well as familiar classics like “In the Hall of the Mountain King”.
The cast features seven performers all playing characters who either are patrons of, or reside in the lodge. Aside from the two mentioned earlier, there are the owners of the inn, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan (Dave Henderson and Sarah Kirby), and their daughter Sara (Leah Hamilton). The other residents include the lumberjack Mr. Kip (David Baker) and the inquisitive wallpaper salesman Mr. Murray (Bill Petch). Despite some opening-night nerves causing one or two line slip-ups, the cast manages to keep up with the demands of the script. Petch delivers a solid performance as a driving force in the investigations, remaining stoic throughout while managing to slip in the occasional quip to ease tensions. Baker’s role also carries much of the story’s forward motion, and his harsh realistic deliveries which usually only subtly show his emotional range match the style of the murder mystery to a tee.
Perhaps the most difficult challenge for this cast to overcome is the script’s hybrid reality of being both a historical thriller and a comedy. The realistic and cool styles on display from Petch and Baker are in direct contrast to the melodramatic and hugely physical performances in some of their castmates. Roy’s comedic lines aside, her character has frequent bouts of hysteria which draw chuckles from the audience. She thrives in her melodramatic role, and it suits many aspects of the story equally as well as the more realistic performances of her castmates. Fraser takes on another role that requires great exaggeration. He regularly leaps around the stage, occasionally wielding a red nose, performing corny magic tricks and delivering his lines so grandiose that one might think he had walked here directly from a Shakespearean comedy. Each performance is, in its own right, suitable, but together they sometimes struggle to blend. There is a unique charm to the hodge-podge of styles, but it was difficult for me to comprehend when to laugh and when to gasp, as the entire thing felt as though dramatic tension was being interrupted by a well-meaning clown. This is not necessarily a fault, because the clown was quite good, and the script may have this jarring nature intentionally, keeping a lighthearted mood throughout an evening thriller.
Having been written by a Grant Allen Award winning author, No Traveller Returns delivers suspense and intelligent writing, which coupled with the beautiful scenery and distinct staging Théâtre Roulant offers creates a truly unique experience to enjoy under the stars. Being just an hour drive from Kingston, the company not only brings one of Canada’s most successful novelists to the area, but also lets you enjoy a meal as you watch local talent bring the words to life.
‘No Traveller Returns’ is produced by Théâtre Roulant and runs at The Waring House until July 12, 2025. Tickets and more information can be found here.
