Mystery sparks curiosity

GO Back for Murder this week with Synchronicity Performing Arts.

The production company is bringing theatre back to Bendigo, presenting the ‘whodunnit,’ an Agatha Christie Poirot adaption, at View Street’s Temperance Hall from Saturday, 6 to Saturday 13 March.

Saari Frochot-Chauhan is set to play 21-year-old Carla within the “traditional murder mystery.”

“Carla has found out her reality is not as she thought. She gets a letter from her mother that says she was convicted for killing her father, but her mother says she’s innocent,” Frochot-Chauhan said.

“Travelling to Australia from Canada, Carla needs to know the whole story, finding out exactly what happened 16 years earlier, when her father died, and her mother was convicted.”

Performed by a small, tight-knit local cast of nine, many of the actors have collaborated before, but haven’t been involved in a show in the last 12 months due to the pandemic.

“There’s been online opportunities, but doing something for a live audience hasn’t been possible, so it’s nice to know we can do that again, and exciting to go and watch theatre again,” Frochot-Chauhan said.

“It would be amazing if people can book to come to the theatre locally in Bendigo. There’s no need to travel, it’s a COVID-safe setting, and you can support the arts industry.”

That setting, the Temperance Hall, in an “old-fashioned” space with an in-built stage, but Synchronicity PA have also installed an extra stage to create a multi-level performance space.

Everything on set is red and white to represent purity meeting murder.

Frochot-Chauhan said audiences will be engaged and curious as the mystery plays out.

“The element of trying to guess who did it, and never really being aware of who that might be, is something they’ll enjoy.”

They may also spot her on stage in two roles.

“I’m loving the challenge of playing Carla, and her mother 16 years back in time when the murder happened,” she said.

Visit bit.ly/3pRFSQK for tickets.