O.C. STAGE REVIEW : Delightfully Tangled Up in Agatha Christie’s ‘Web’ : The old-fashioned whodunit, part of Golden West College’s Summer Mystery Festival, is directed with a light touch.

“Spider’s Web” by Dame Agatha Christie is a genuine, old-fashioned whodunit with a more twists than a bag of pretzels. At Golden West College’s Patio Theater as part of the school’s ongoing Summer Mystery Festival, it’s the perfect treat to round out a summer’s day.

This tale of murder and intrigue, directed with a light touch by Steven Jay Warner, is set in an upper-crust country manor called Copplestone Court. The characters are a panoply of stalwart British types, from the coquettish young mistress of the manor, Clarissa, to her uncle, Sir Rowland, a retiree from the foreign office, to the tweedy, local police inspector who interrogates the suspects in--where else?--the drawing room.

The plot is far too intricate to relate, but the villain wears black, and the secret doorway creaks. There’s a book of black magic and a hidden message and, of course, a corpse.

It’s all jolly good fun and games; there’s even an opportunity for the audience to guess the killer and win a volume of Dame Agatha’s stories.

One of the most popular authors in history, Christie knew how to spin a yarn, and director Warner keeps things moving at a sprightly pace. The cast is evenly accomplished, led by sparkly Alice Ensor as the inventive Clarissa. Douglas L. Hartman is a warm, understated Sir Rowland, and young Larry Cardwell, in gray hair spray and spectacles, makes a lovable old head-wagger as Hugo Birch.

As Police Inspector Lord, Eric Hansen fairly beams with the excitement of the chase, using his large eyes to great advantage as he reacts to the many surprises in store for him.

Christie’s writing has the elegance of yesterday and far away. It’s free from “modern” language, dark realism or, admittedly, anything really scary. This is murder at its most refined. The only chills come from the night air (the theater is outdoors, so bundle up), and there’s a good, warm feeling to be had from local summer stock at its entertaining best.

‘Spider’s Web’

A Golden West College Summer Mystery Festival production of the play by Dame Agatha Christie. Directed by Steven Jay Warner. Scenic design by David P. Falzon. Lighting design by Leslie Barry. Sound design by David Edwards. Costume design by Donna Mae Dickens. With Douglas L. Hartman, Larry Cardwell, David J. Kelso, Alice Ensor, Sandy Trullinger, Diane Borcyckowski, Herman Dinaburg, Eric Schiffer, Reed Boyer, Eric Hansen and Michael D. Barron. Continues June 29 and 30 and July 3, 5, 11, 12, 17, 20 and 21 at 8:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Patio Theater at Golden West College, 15744 Golden West St., Huntington Beach. Tickets: $6-$9. Information: (714) 895-8378.