As part of its 2023-2024 season, Hampton Theatre Company is gearing up to present the crackerjack thriller “Strictly Murder,” a W.W.II-era thriller from prolific playwright/screenwriter/producer Brian Clemens. The play opens March 7 at Quogue Community Hall with performances running through March 24. This season, HTC’s 39th, is dedicated to Don and Judy Gruhn, Quogue residents and longtime friends and supporters of the HTC.
Originally produced in the U.K. at The Mill at Sonning in February 2006, “Strictly Murder” is set in 1939 in Provence, France, where an English couple, Peter and Suzy, are living in idyllic isolation, far from the rumblings of the coming world war. Their peace is shattered when Suzy discovers she’s been betrayed: Peter is not the man he claims to be, and in fact may be a ruthless killer on the run. When Ross, a Scotland Yard detective arrives on the scene, events become even more complicated and frightening. Lies, subterfuge and murder make this fast-paced thriller a dark and disturbing roller coaster of bluff … and double bluff.
“Strictly Murder” showcases the formidable talents of Clemens (1931-2015), the English writer and producer whose career in television, film and the theater spanned 60 years. Perhaps best-known for his creative contributions to the long-running British TV series “The Avengers,” Clemens enjoyed international success with U.S. TV series like “Remington Steele,” “Diagnosis: Murder” and “Highlander: The Series.”
Among the many films he contributed to as a writer and producer are: “See No Evil,” “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad,” “The Watcher in the Woods” and “Highlander 2: The Quickening.” Notable theater productions include “Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution,” “All About Murder,” “Inside Job” and “Murder Hunt.”
The five-member cast of HTC’s production of “Strictly Murder” is led by three actors who have collectively appeared in more than two dozen Hampton Theatre Company productions. Matthew Conlon (“The Lifespan of a Fact,” “Private Lives,” “Man of La Mancha”) portrays Ross, who may or may not be the detective he claims to be; Scott Hofer (“The Boys Next Door”) is Josef, the furtive, rough-hewn neighbor and protector to Peter and Suzy; and Catherine Maloney (“Over the River and Through the Woods,” “Sylvia”) plays Miriam, Ross’s intimidating colleague. Rounding out the cast are two talented actors making their HTC debut — Dayne Rasmussen as the cryptic U.K. exile Peter, and Ashley Underwood as his long-suffering companion Suzy.
Directing “Strictly Murder” after a three-decade hiatus from HTC is Mary Powers. Set design is by Mary Powers, Meg Sexton and Ricky Bottenus; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Meg Sexton; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.
Performances of “Strictly Murder” run March 7 through March 24 on Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. An additional matinee performance will be offered Saturday, March 23, at 2:30 p.m. Two “talkbacks” with the cast will follow the March 15 and March 22 performances. Tickets are $36 ($31 seniors, $20 students) at hamptontheatre.org or 631-653-8955. Quogue Community Hall is at 125 Jessup Avenue in Quogue.
Staff Writer on Feb 1, 2024