Among his many other talents, playwright Peter Colley seems to excel in the genre of comic thrillers.
His latest foray into the realm, The Ghost Island Light, is on stage now at Theatre Orangeville – fittingly just in time for Halloween.
The play opens with rookie lighthouse keeper Josiah (played by David Rosser) and his wife Rowena (Heidi Lynch) arriving at a lighthouse on a barren rock island.
Rowena, a sophisticated member of high society who’s many years younger than Josiah, is unimpressed from the outset with the cramped quarters and isolated location.
But it soon becomes clear the couple has much more pressing issues about which to be worried.
As relayed by Erin (Perrie Olthuis), a young, boyish-looking cleaning and delivery lady, the lighthouse has a mysterious and scary reputation. The haunting tale includes massive rats and black crows, murder, ghosts, curses and evil spirits.
The arrival of assistant keeper Brandon (Jeffery Wetsch) does little to calm fears, as he too is a lighthouse first-timer and seems deathly afraid of ghosts.
A third generation member of a wealthy family who’s determined to prove himself, Brandon is soon consumed by convincing Erin of the eerie and bizarre incidents unfolding at the lighthouse.
The details of the plot won’t be ruined here, but The Ghost Island Light is full of all sorts of surprises, some of which will have audiences jumping in fright.
All four actors, reunited after performing this play last year at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover, are great in their respective roles, displaying smooth chemistry and near perfect timing.
Lynch and Wetsch are undeniably the stars of the show, respectively providing the bulk of the play’s chilling suspense and comic relief.
Lynch, whose acting talents are well known to Theatre Orangeville audiences, is flawless in her portrayal of Rowena’s turns from hoity-toity to wicked and evil.
And Wetsch has the audience in stitches with hilarious facial expressions and gasps in reaction to the play’s creepy and horrifying events.
The set and lighting design, by Eric Bunnell and Steve Lucas respectively, are great at re-creating the feel of a lighthouse from a century ago.
Director Derek Ritschel (also at the helm of the Lighthouse Festival Theatre presentation) and assistant director Jane Spence seem to have provided great instruction and guidance.
The script from Colley – better known for another comic thriller, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight – is a great mix of comedy, intrigue and suspense, though it’s not without its weaknesses.
For example, having any sort of romance develop amidst the horror of apparitions, attempted murders and spirit possessions seems contrived.
But never mind that – just sit back and enjoy the show. Then again, it’s far more likely you’ll be stuck on the edge of your seat.
The Ghost Island Light plays five shows a week until Nov. 6. For tickets call 519-942-3423 or 1-800-424-1295 or visit theatreorangeville.ca.
