Making a Good Case

Agatha Christie’s thrillers are always welcome. Even if you know the outcome, there’s a delicious satisfaction in watching her tie up the knots of her story and then slowly untie them.

On stage, it helps if the director and actors provide a few surprises. A few crop up in Hugh Harrison’s staging, at the Long Beach Playhouse, of “Witness for the Prosecution,” which is distinguished by some very good performances. Harrison knows the genre well and treats it with affection and care, particularly in his casting.

The only thing this revival lacks, at some crucial moments, is a feeling of tension and suspense. During one of the trial scenes, the very oblique Mr. Clegg of Scotland Yard’s forensic lab, in a funny turn by Chance Levine, gives testimony. It’s meant as comic relief from a tense moment preceding it, but here that tension hasn’t been built up enough.

One of the nice Christie touches is the rivalry between Sir Wilfrid, who is defending the suspected murderer, and the prosecutor, Mr. Myers. James Rice as Myers is not nearly as quick-tempered, nasty and insecure as he could be, and Harrison hasn’t shaped their relationship as solidly as it might be.

Though this subtle shaping of rhythms is occasionally missing, Harrison has provided an authentic and valid feel to the proceedings. So has Robert Kokol as Sir Wilfrid, giving a solid performance with the right values and subtle humor. Trish Melynkov is also outstanding as Romaine Heilger, the wife of the accused, in a reading full of rich detail.

*

Al Nowicki is notable as the defendant, Leonard Vole, for his ability to appear innocent with just the slightest edge of sham beneath the surface. Also on target is Marie Benoit as the victim’s housekeeper, Janet MacKenzie, a bitter, vindictive spinster; Benoit wisely allows the audience to dislike her. The official hauteur of the very cool Steven Jay Warner as Inspector Hearne helps the production’s tone.

Paul Teschke, as Vole’s solicitor, is perfect casting with his reserved quality, but his apparent struggle to remember lines contributes somewhat to the lack of tension in most of his scenes. And Melissa Brandzel, alternating with Lisa Jane Dunlap as Sir Wilfrid’s secretary, is so overboard and unreal she detracts from her thankfully few scenes.

BE THERE

“Witness for the Prosecution,” Long Beach Playhouse Mainstage, 5021 E. Anaheim St. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sunday and Jan. 18 and Feb. 8, 2 p.m. Ends Feb. 14. $10-$15. (562) 494-1616. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes.