In a complex performance based on a true story, Tainted Justice resembles a mystery still to be solved.
“I’ve been involved with Peninsula Players since 2006 and probably with 11 productions, and this is the first play of all the ones I’ve been involved with that the actors are really questioning their roles,” said Stage Manager of the upcoming show Marketa Mellows.
Based on the book by David Newton, Tainted Justice is based on the real life event that happened on Cape Breton Island where a man was murdered.
“And there were interesting facts around it, and somebody was found guilty…and he was hung,” said Mellows.
“But then the reality is was that what really happened? And it’s called Tainted Justice because the justice part of it… something happened there as well.”
Because the case involved a close family member, the attorney involved didn’t follow through as he should have.
“So it’s very interesting and very complex.”
The play, written by Don Nigro, has a cast of eight, all who have their own role.
“The issue is at the time I don’t know that it was ever really fully understood who really committed this murder,” said Mellows.
One of the characters, Pearl, who is the daughter of Ben Atkinson (who was murdered) and his wife Tena, is trying to figure out who really murdered her father in the dark woods. She is also trying to figure out who Frank ( the guilty man) really was.
Mellows said the audience will go through 30 different scenes, all which are happening on the same stage, set one after the other, differing in time period. She said they don’t flow through consecutively.
“One or two will be just after the murder, some will be a long time after the murder, some will be before the murder.”
With the scenes flowing into one another continuously, the audience could come away with different conclusions after they watch it.
Tainted Justice will take place at the Mary Winspear Centre from Oct. 21 to 23. For ticket information call 250-656-0275.