Pocket Sandwich Theatre weaves a thrilling story of suspense and comedy with Agatha Christie’s “Spider’s Web”

Pocket Sandwich Theatre invites audiences into a web of mystery and intrigue when its upcoming production of Agatha Christie’s “Spider’s Web” opens on August 30. Don’t mistake this for your typical Christie whodunnit, however. “Spider’s Web” spins a tale filled with humor and references to the author’s past mysteries while still keeping audiences on their toes trying to guess the identity of the murderer.

The show is set in the 1950s and follows Clarissa, a diplomat’s wife known for her exaggerated storytelling. When the drawing room in Clarissa’s rented English countryside villa becomes the scene of a murder, she must convince her guests to help her get rid of the body before the arrival of her husband with a fellow diplomat. Soon, Inspector Lord arrives, and interrogations abound as the search for the killer commences.

“The stakes are high, and the comedy comes because the stakes are so high,” Kim Winnubst, who stars as Clarissa, says. “Any little smile, laugh or slight witty line plays better because everyone’s at a nine.”

Winnubst, who’s one of the ownership partners in Pocket Sandwich Theatre, explains that the theater alternates between producing its signature popcorn-tossing melodramas and more serious shows that still have a comedic side. “Spider’s Web” falls under the latter category as it follows the recently wrapped production of“Herbbits, Wizards and Borks…Oh My!” at the theater. “It’s definitely a little wittier than some of the door-slamming shows, so we’re asking people to kind of trust us and trust that there will be comedy here,” Winnubst says, adding that the theater and creative team hope to also create some “spooky vibes” with “Spider’s Web” as we head into Halloween season.

That tension-filled side of the show should come through in part thanks to the set design by Jeff Vance. “This is a very different look for the Pocket, and there’s a major dramatic angle to this set that we’ve not taken advantage of since the Pocket’s moved up here to Carrollton,” “Spider’s Web” Director Kim Titus says. “I’m very excited to see that initial reaction from audiences each evening as they come into something that is going to be different, and hopefully a little unsettling to them, because that’s what I want all evening. I want them unsettled.”

Even with that desire to keep the audience off-balance, Titus says the show still needs “the comedy to balance the tension.” “If we just had all tension all evening, it would just be this terribly wrenching evening,” Titus says. “Agatha Christie kind of put (comedy) in very neat points to break that tension for a moment, and then we’re back into the game again.”

He says that “part of the fun of this mystery” comes from Winnubst’s creative storytelling as Clarissa. “She’s very inventive, and therefore nobody believes her when she tells the truth,” Titus says.

Winnubst calls Clarissa a “daydreamer” who uses her “fantastical” storytelling to liven up her day. “She’s a housewife in 1954. It’s not a very exciting time to be a woman, so she finds ways to excite her time,” Winnubst says, describing Clarissa as a “very endearing person” who’s not “mean-spirited” when telling her tall tales. “She’s the life of the party, but at the same time, can you really ever believe what she’s saying?”

Winnubst and her fellow co-star Sarah Kate Barton, who plays Clarissa’s 12-year-old stepdaughter Pippa, single out Inspector Lord’s attempts at getting to the truth through interrogations as some of the show’s most entertaining scenes. “It really gives a lot of insight into their characters, and you can really see the backstory being created,” Barton says.

Winnubst notes that Clarissa and Inspector Lord, played by Jake Shanahan, have “about 15 pages” worth of material alone onstage together. The two actors have been frequent scene partners in past productions, with Winnubst emphasizing how the trust they’ve built over the years together onstage has helped them quickly and easily build chemistry together for their “Spider’s Web” scenes.

It’s the kind of chemistry Titus says he works as the director to help the actors develop and facilitate onstage by “creating the right playground for them to feel free, to feel safe (and) to come and play.” For instance, he highlights what he refers to as the heartwarming relationship developed onstage between Winnubst and Barton as stepmother and stepdaughter as some of his favorite scenes.

A current student at TCU, Barton is a newcomer to Pocket Sandwich Theatre. She’s no stranger to performing younger roles like Pippa though. “I’ve played a lot of kids in my time,” Barton says with a laugh. “I’m 20, but I look a little younger.”

Barton says she has “loved every minute” working with the experienced cast and crew of “Spider’s Web” and having the opportunity to learn from them throughout the rehearsal process. “It’s a very talented cast,” Barton says.

Barton, Winnubst and Titus each feel “Spider’s Web” as a whole will leave audiences with an entertaining evening as they join Pocket Sandwich Theatre for this unique Agatha Christie production. “Murder mysteries are so much fun,” Barton says. “I think the audiences are going to have a great time trying to figure out who the murderer is and piecing all of the clues together.”

The Pocket Sandwich Theatre production of “Spider’s Web” runs from August 30 – September 27. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, visit https://www.pocketsandwich.com/.

These interviews were edited for clarity.