Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace is one of those beloved chestnuts that’s particularly suited to community theatre. It’s fuelled by innocent silliness and a feel-good vibe (a rare thing in a play about murder and madness) and gives ample opportunity for over-the-top performances. Cynthia Walker and Michele Gaudet do a fine job as the charming geriatric do-gooders who see absolutely nothing wrong with putting lonely old men out of their misery. Their theatre-critic nephew Mortimer (Josh Lawrence) is a bit of a kill-joy, and much of the fun in the play comes from realizing you side more with the kooky murderesses than the sane sour-puss. The plot is enlivened by an endearing uncle (Robin Sayword) who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, Mortimer’s sinister brother (Allan Tidgwell) and his likeable sidekick (Bryn Rowlands) and Mortimer’s spunky fiancé (Katherine Tufts, who exudes an old-Hollywood air) as well as a pack of clueless cops. —Kate Watson