“[D]elves deep into the suspense, nostalgia and clichés of classic detective fiction and old-time radio mysteries”
Excerpted from Press Release:
Duotang Chesterfield’s Mystery Theatre delves deep into the suspense, nostalgia and clichés of classic detective fiction and old-time radio mysteries in their first live show at the Toronto Fringe Festival.
“Like Sherlock if he had PTSD, I loved it.” – Diana McCallum (co-creator of internet phenomenon Texts from Superheroes) on the DCMT Podcast.
Part Nancy Drew, part Sherlock Holmes, with more than a dash of CBS Mystery Theatre, Duotang Chesterfield’s Mystery Theatre LIVE! skillfully spoofs a mix of detective fiction styles – while never mocking. “We’re all big fans of the mystery genre,” says co-producer Josef Beeby; “so we enjoy playing with some of its stranger tropes.”
From July 1-12, Randolph Theatre will be the ‘Duotang Chesterfield Radio Station’ where audiences can view a live broadcast hosted by the mysterious Narrator (Leete Stetson). Stetson will be joined onstage by Nicole Byblow, Josef Beeby, Marika Lapointe, Justin Miller, Zara Jestadt, Rebecca Russell, and Grace Smith. “It’s fascinating getting to see voice actors perform, because we so rarely do, “ says Smith; “one minute you’re a 90-year-old British Countess; the next, a teenager from Nebraska!”
The production will be helmed by Director Aria Umezawa, Artistic Director of Opera 5 and creator of the popular web series Opera Cheats, with scripts contributed by cast-members Beeby, Stetson, and Smith, and Polly Phokeev (Seams – Summerworks 2015).
Can’t wait until the Fringe? Check out the back-catalogue of podcast episodes (iTunes or www.duotangmysteries.com) to tide you over. Creators Beeby, Smith, and Stetson came up with the idea for DCMT in March 2014 after noticing a dearth of high-quality radio-play-style offerings on iTunes. “If you want to listen to guys arguing about movies, you have lots of podcast options; if you want to hear something scripted, something with an arc to it, well that’s a little harder to find,” says Stetson. “We’re trying to fill that gap.”
Showtimes:
- Weds July 1 – 10:30pm
- Sat July 4 – 8:45pm
- Mon July 6 – 4:45pm
- Weds July 8 – 8:45pm
- Thurs July 9 – 1:45pm
- Fri July 10 – 7:30pm
- Sun July 12 – 12:00pm
Venue: Randolph Theatre (Mainspace), 736 Bathurst St.
Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office, starting one hour before showtime. (Cash-only.)
The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.
Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.