Photo Credit Mekenzie Brock

Oregon Cabaret’s ‘Poirot: Murder on the Links’ — Theatre Review

Wit. Murder. Loopholes. Romance. And a cast to *die* for!

If you’re stuck at home or in a dorm room bored with nothing to do and some money to spare, you might consider attending a theatre performance in downtown Ashland. Until November 7th, the Oregon Cabaret Theatre is performing “Poirot: Murder on the Links.” Below is a performance description directly from the Oregon Cabaret website: 

Based on Agatha Christie’s thrilling mystery, Murder on the Links features famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and his friend Captain Hastings. Poirot arrives in France to find his client brutally murdered and lying face down in a shallow grave on a golf course. But why is the dead man wearing an overcoat that is too big for him? And for whom was the impassioned love letter in the pocket? Before Poirot can answer these questions, the case is turned upside down by the discovery of a second, identically murdered corpse.”

Several times throughout the performance, the characters had me laughing in my seat or utterly engaged as the cast tried to figure out who the mystery killer was. However, the true engagement with the performance begins as soon as you arrive at the theatre. If you decide to attend, your night or afternoon might follow similar to mine: an appetizer before the show, a show-themed cocktail (if you are 21 and older), and an amazing dessert during intermission. Also, when I first arrived and was seated, along the perimeter of the stage are several murder weapon portraits that glowed red from time to time, adding suspense to the question, “what really was the murder weapon?” 

Overall, the performance was an incredible experience. The cast was a well-blended mix of actors who doubled for various parts but were flawless in their execution of the different roles. Throughout the show, there were a few musically sung scenes that allowed for a smooth set transition to occur. There was even a little romance that left the audience in laughter and surprise, since it is a murder mystery. In the end, after following loophole after loophole, like falling down the rabbit hole and getting turned around a few times too many, you’re left with the murderer of the night… but, since I don’t want to give too much away, you’d have to decide for yourself if they truly catch the “right” murderer!

If you feel inclined to fall down the murder mystery path and want to follow along with the detectives as they try to uncover the case, then I highly recommend catching a show before they stop on November 7th! To attend the performance, you must be fully vaccinated or show a negative COVID test before entering the theatre. 

You can find showtimes and buy tickets on their website with the link below!

https://ci.ovationtix.com/35080/production/1034400

Happy detecting!

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