Review: ARTHUR BAMPOT: THE CASE OF THE DEAD SILENCE at the Ottawa Fringe Festival

Do you love a good detective story? Imagine yourself sitting by the fire, playing chess against a certain pipe smoking, violin wielding brainiac? Or perhaps dining on a Nile River cruise with a mustachioed gentleman who has a self-proclaimed abundance of little grey cells? Hopping into a psychedelic caravan full of foot long sandwiches and a cowardly Great Dane?

Now, how about theatre? Do you leave a light on for the opera ghost? Call out “break a leg” to your friends at a premiere? Imagine yourself at the mast of a boat navigating the underground canal of the Paris Opera House?

If you answered yes to any (or all) of these questions, jinkies do I have the show for you!

Arthur Bampot: The Case of the Dead Silence, by Dangerous Dames Theatre, is a love letter to detective stories, film noir, and the theatre. When Janet Van LeadingLady (Becky McKercher) begins her monologue on opening night, she is aghast to discover that all the play’s jokes have been brutally murdered. Enter Arthur Bampot (David Scotswood) and Mrs. Judy Smith-Lansbury (Sarah Thuswaldner) to find out whodunit. Written by Scotswood, this play is hilarious, with many, many nods to the theatre, as well as all of your favourite detective films and television shows. There is even a madcap Scooby-Doo-worthy chase scene. One of the highlights for me is the interrogation scene, where McKercher plays an entire police lineup of witnesses-slash-suspects. Let mayhem ensue.

The Case of the Dead Silence is clever and polished, zany and utterly delightful for its entire length.

cast is phenomenal, and they have become the absolute embodiment of their characters. This is the second Bampot mystery penned by Scotswood (the first, Arthur Bampot and the Case of the Kept Man, appeared at the Ottawa Fringe Festival in 2022). Granted that this genre is right up my alley, but I certainly hope Scotswood and Dangerous Dames keep adding to this series. Judging by their reaction, Ottawa audiences agree that these meddling kids should stick around.

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