Superintendent Battle – Two weeks out
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am acting in my first Agatha Christie mystery since Drama School, and we have just reached our ‘first-run through’ watershed. For most of us, we were completely ‘off-book’, too giving everyone an opportunity at experiencing the pace and overall speed of the production, and how it would affect our characterizations.
For me (almost off book!), I was surprised by how much time I had on stage between and during my own lines. My last appearance was in a farce, and the machine-gun delivery and timing was a shock to me. I think that I carried over some remnants of that into my current role, because I was continually directed to bring it all back in, and relax, instead of being accusatory. Seeing, now, how everyone is working on the stage, and how I fit into the play, I can understand why.
My first clues to the man behind the script were those given in the text: set in the mid-1950’s, I play a Police Superintendent (‘Just call me Super!’) co-incidentally on the scene of a murder while on a vacation close by. In fact, I am visiting my Nephew, a Police Inspector in his own right in the area, and I soon take over the case. In a further stroke of luck, I have known one of the characters for over 20 years, so he hurriedly contacts me as soon as the murder is discovered. Enough of the exposition, let’s get creative. I was surprised that, having known this character for so long, I still call him ‘Sir’. In fact, I am overly polite to many of the characters in the piece, even though they are suspects in a murder case. I have put this down to a Military background, as well as a more obsequious working class, outsider character. I find that this will be useful dramatically, as everyone is – of course – working hard on their English country house accents – or is that pronounced “Hise”?
While erect, and polite, I have the opportunity to play him very relaxed: perhaps I am just being polite in a sarcastic way: Relaxed, because I know quite a bit about the murder before I actually show up on stage. I know the victim, the murder scene, the way it was done, and the approximate time. Of course, I also know that the murderer is still in the house, and will have to be part of my ongoing interrogations. In fact, the only thing I am investigating is ‘who is lying’, and why.
My wardrobe has gone through several iterations, but I am looking at a casual 1930’s look. After all 50-something men have never usually bought up-to-date fashions. They rely on the styles that they bought when they were younger. As I am on holiday, this means a sports jacket and tie, as opposed to a suit and tie – the look that the rest of the men will be using on stage.
My ‘nephew’ and I have come up with a nice back-story to add some fun to our relationship, and the rest is all in the pauses, of course. What has someone just said that has made me think? Or what has been said that has pressed a button? There is no rush to solve this, because everything I need is here- - including my quarry. People that may be lying for ll kinds of reasons un known to me, but I will find out before long, because everyone is trapped here, together, until I decide who can leave. My character may be Battle by name, but definitely not by nature. In fact, I am playing him completely opposite to that idea: Calm, fun, polite, and always listening. Hopefully, my first investigator on stage will be a ‘bloke’ that you may enjoy going for a beer with…unless, of course, you have done something wrong, for I am always listening and making mental notes on what people have said.
