Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime
Director: Molly Haddon
Writer: Constance Cox
Genesian Theatre Company
April 26 – June 7, 2025
The Genesian’s third production for 2025, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, is a triumph – wacky, hilarious, pacy, and a sheer delight.
Based on Oscar Wilde’s short story, Constance Cox’s astute adaptation preserves the sharp satire of Wilde’s original vision.
Director Molly Haddon’s handling of this off-the-wall period piece deserves every accolade. Her ability to choreograph the action with such energy, while keeping the comedic rhythm perfectly intact, is impressive. She is ably supported by an exceptional cast.
The story begins with the well-meaning but gullible Lord Arthur (Brock Cramond), who is set to marry the delectable Sybil Merton (Catherine Layard). But her mother, the formidable Lady Merton (Roslyn Hicks), harbours doubts and enlists the services of Podgers (Kees Harmsen), a fashionable palm reader.
Privately, Podgers – a dead ringer for Lurch from The Addams Family – warns Arthur that he is destined to commit murder. Horrified, Arthur decides to fulfil this fate before marrying, so he can approach married life with a clean slate. But who to murder? Perhaps one of his tiresome relatives?
Arthur and his loyal butler Baines (Oliver Harcourt-Ham) embark on a hilariously misguided quest to commit the deed. Their plans are further complicated by the arrival of Herr Winkelkopf (Sebastian Lodge), a visiting anarchist who offers his bomb-making skills – though, unfortunately, he proves hopelessly inept. The resulting mayhem is both tense and side-splitting.
The characters are brought to life by a strong ensemble: Cramond and Layard are a charming couple, Hicks is wonderfully forbidding, and Deirdre Campbell and Julia Burns (as Lady Beauchamp and Lady Windermere) add zest. Christopher Hamilton is endearing as the vague Dean of Paddington, and Harcourt-Ham excels as the stoic butler. Amy Sylvana Thomas (Nellie) and Harmsen (Podgers) add further colour, as does Lodge’s delightfully daft Winkelkopf.
Costumes (Haddon and Susan Carveth) are outstanding: era-appropriate, elegant and delightfully topped with outlandish hats – one even featuring a seagull mid-flight. The set (Haddon and Tom Fahy) offers a witty touch with its garish decor, explained by Sybil’s girlish tastes.
This is a fast-paced, uplifting comedy – a genuine treat. Don’t wait to see it – you may just want to go twice!
