By Cherry Zhi
“I have the utmost respect for my directors. You can tell that their decades of knowledge have rubbed off the cast over the years.” — Adam Bushell
As the lights dimmed and the dramatic music played, the audience hushed as the talented Collingwood School actors and actresses began to stage Agatha Christie’s famous short story “Witness for the Prosecution”. The story centres around the arrest of Leonard Vole, acted by Alex Lara (grade 11), for the murder of a wealthy, elderly widow named Emily French. Leonard Vole, an unemployed married man struggling to make ends meet, had made the acquaintance of Ms. French and spent a lot of time with her at her house. Ms. French then made Leonard her heir but was killed soon afterwards. Leonard had spent that fateful evening with her, but claims that he returned home at the time of the murder. He has no evidence except for the testimony of his foreign wife, Romaine Vole, acted by Dorrin Reyhani (grade 11). Given the circumstances, things do not look good in court for Leonard but his solicitor Sir Wilfred Robarts, played by Chris Cannistraro (grade 12), is determined to prove Leonard’s innocence and undermine Mr. Myers, the prosecuting attorney portrayed by Adam Bushell (grade 12). However, the case becomes bleak for Leonard when his very own wife testifies as a witness for the prosecution. Her betrayal stuns him, but it is later revealed that it was all a part of a complicated plan where she was actually working to free her husband all along. However, the plot twist does not stop there and later, even more shocking information is revealed. The play ends with the resonating screams of Sydney Chapman (grade 10), and the audience is left in awe over a stunning and well developed play that leaves everyone on the edges of their seats.
“I have the utmost respect for my directors. You can tell that their decades of knowledge have rubbed off the cast over the years.” — Adam Bushell
As the lights dimmed and the dramatic music played, the audience hushed as the talented Collingwood School actors and actresses began to stage Agatha Christie’s famous short story “Witness for the Prosecution”. The story centres around the arrest of Leonard Vole, acted by Alex Lara (grade 11), for the murder of a wealthy, elderly widow named Emily French. Leonard Vole, an unemployed married man struggling to make ends meet, had made the acquaintance of Ms. French and spent a lot of time with her at her house. Ms. French then made Leonard her heir but was killed soon afterwards. Leonard had spent that fateful evening with her, but claims that he returned home at the time of the murder. He has no evidence except for the testimony of his foreign wife, Romaine Vole, acted by Dorrin Reyhani (grade 11). Given the circumstances, things do not look good in court for Leonard but his solicitor Sir Wilfred Robarts, played by Chris Cannistraro (grade 12), is determined to prove Leonard’s innocence and undermine Mr. Myers, the prosecuting attorney portrayed by Adam Bushell (grade 12). However, the case becomes bleak for Leonard when his very own wife testifies as a witness for the prosecution. Her betrayal stuns him, but it is later revealed that it was all a part of a complicated plan where she was actually working to free her husband all along. However, the plot twist does not stop there and later, even more shocking information is revealed. The play ends with the resonating screams of Sydney Chapman (grade 10), and the audience is left in awe over a stunning and well developed play that leaves everyone on the edges of their seats.
The extraordinary performances of the actors and actresses reflect the immense talent and dedication of the cast and Mr. Wener’s highly impressive directing and production skills. Alex Lara fully embodied his character and developed a riveting performance of an ostensibly honest and genuine man, while Dorrin Reyhani’s portrayal of her character was the epitome of a mysterious and cunning foreign woman, complete with a very impressive German accent. Their contrasting characters automatically established a sense of confusion and suspense while Christine Joo's (grade 11) character, Greta, added a sense of lightheartedness to balance the otherwise serious and dramatic play. In Act 2, Chris Cannistraro and Adam Bushell revealed their superb acting skills and portrayed their characters with charm, wit, and passion. The serious court scenes were interspersed with a few lighthearted remarks by a white-wig clad Andrew Rowntree (grade 12), who portrayed Mr. Justice Wainwright. Finally, the testimonies of the witnesses added to the suspense of the mystery.
The play is fresh, dynamic, and intense but it also pushed the cast to new limits. Dorrin stated that “I didn’t have the slightest clue of what a German accent was until this play” and yet she successfully executed it and added flair and credibility to her character. This is the last play in the current Morven theatre and for many grads, this play is the end to their Collingwood acting careers. However, they have undoubtedly left a large legacy for future drama productions in the new school and have left huge footprints for younger actors and actresses in the school. “Witness for the Prosecution” is absolutely spectacular and it is without doubt that the cast has inspired us all with their talent, hard work, and passion.