It is not everyday that one gets to interview the world’s most famous detective. Austinites will be pleased to learn that Hercule Poirot is in residence here until Dec. 28.
He is appearing in a play entitled Peril in the Alps, courtesy of Austin Playhouse. After a recent performance I asked him (in the person of actor Ben Wolfe) a few questions.
What was the greatest challenge of playing Poirot (created by Agatha Christie)?
“Oh gosh, the biggest challenge, particularly in this version of the script, is maintaining the seriousness of the crime against the silliness of some of the writing. So that was, I think, the big challenge for all of us, was how to balance that. And it’s just the way that it’s written. But you also, for the audience’s sake, have to treat it like it’s real. So, there’s a tough balance there that’s fun to play for certain.
“You know, there’s a couple of moments where every night I still get those tingles when you’re like, “I think we hit that one. I think we hit that one pretty good.”
This is the third outing of Poirot for Wolfe, all by Austin Playhouse.
“We did a virtual presentation during the pandemic. We did The Mysterious Affair at Styles when that hit the public domain. It was filmed and put online, a live stream.
“And then two years ago, Steven Dietz wrote Murder on the Links, an adaptation very similar to this one. And then he wrote this one as a sort of sequel to it, and so this is now the third time.
“During Murder on the Links, we hired a dialect coach so I really got a stern lesson in how to really shape those sounds, so I feel like I have a lot of fun playing with that.”
Finally, I asked him how he has evolved in the role.
“You know, that’s an interesting one because the first one is that first introduction to Poirot. And in that one, I was really just getting back into performing because we’d taken a two and a half year pandemic break and I didn’t know if that was what I wanted to do. And then in Murder on the Links, we told that story pretty straightforwardly: it was a mystery and let it play out that way.
In Murder on the Links, we got to explore the more comedic side of the story, just in the storytelling elements, where I was sort of the straight man in that play. All of the funny elements happened around me, but Poirot was purely serious in that production.
“And in this one it’s written so that that Poirot gets to take part in some of that, or at least acknowledge that some of this stuff is happening around him; it has been a lot of fun to sort of make that progression.
“And then sort of figure out, you know, where he lives in the world of the psyche and the personality, because he can be rather abrupt with people. He’s not mean, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, but he also doesn’t suffer fools, so that’s been a nice arc to sort of carry along, especially with regards to Hastings and their relationship and how he relates. He finally relates to somebody more as a human rather than just as a pawn.”
Co-starring with Wolfe is Lara Toner (once again playing Capt. Hastings), and Bailey Ellis, who did such a superb job as Shakespeare in the play Born With Teeth (director by Wolfe).
Also back in this production from Murder on the Links is Tonie Knight and Huck Huckaby, who add just the right dash of comedic sinister to their roles. Rounding out this cast is Sarah Chong Dickey who, like Ellis, Knight and Huckaby, play several roles in quick succession. Not easy, but smoothly done.
I won’t give away the plot of Peril in the Alps. Suffice to say this is a must-see play for the month of December, and one of the most enjoyable productions I attended here all year.
Photo credit: Steve Rogers Photography
Lead photo: Toner, Wolfe and Knight
second photo: Wolfe, Toner and Ellis
Austin Playhouse is at 405 W 22nd St, Austin. Tickets at: www.austinplayhouse.com
For my review of Murder On The Links, go here:
and Born with Teeth: