And Then, The Lights Went Out is Stage West’s latest offering, running until April 12^th, and is the most Canadian show the company has produced in quite awhile. Written by Alberta-born playwright Andy Garland and set in Edmonton, it’s an interesting look at the life of a writer combined with the classic aspects of noir-style storytelling.

There is a heat wave and writer Thomas Levine (Warren Bain) is struggling to meet a deadline for his latest book. It’s a challenge every writer faces, trying to craft words onto a page and finding nothing, but is easily identified within lots of professions. Over the course of the show, Levine’s characters come to life, performing both the script and interacting with the author. It’s a unique twist on the genre.

Any ‘style’ of show – from farce to noir – features certain clichés and aspects you can always expect to be included, and such is the case here. The protagonist is Detective Jim O’Reiley, who is approached by the femme fatale Claire Valcourt (Chantal Perron) to find someone. And so the classic story goes, with evil henchmen Bruno (Luke Marty) getting into some shoot ups with O’Reiley and bad guy Duke Morrison (Sheldon Davis) pulling strings behind the scenes. O’Reiley is forced to team up with an attractive cop Lucy (Siobahn Richardson) to solve the crime. This is just the ‘fictional’ story while, at the same time, Thomas is having to deal with his slumlord Adelle (Rennie Wilkinson) and feelings for neighbour Nia (Cosette Derome). There is a lot going on in the show.

At first I had some logistical issues with the show. Levine lives in an absolute dump, yet is working on the latest in a series of books. If your books aren’t a success you don’t get to write six of them, so why is he living in such a shithole? It is set in ‘present day’, but Levine uses a typewriter. Then I looked at the big picture – that his characters were talking to him and running around his apartment – and those little questions became irrelevant.

Fans of detective novels and films will enjoy the show. As is the case with Stage West, they pick a genre and they do it well. Fans of musicals will enjoy their musical offerings, fans of farce will love those productions, and those that enjoy their revues consistently get their money’s worth. If someone isn’t a fan of the style, they may have a different opinion. Tastes in theatre differ, and one of the things I like about Stage West is they offer a variety each season. In the case of And Then, The Lights Went Out there is a stellar cast that tackles the roles with enthusiasm and a fun build to a surprising conclusion. There is also a cameo from a long-time Stage West staffer that will bring a smile to the face of long-time attendees.

The added bonus of Stage West is, of course, dinner. The stuffed chicken breast and the fried pork loin were personal favourites this go round and, of course, the dessert table taunts you from the moment you walk in, inviting you to sample the various sweets like pistachio torte, chocolate pudding and those ridiculously tasty cookies.

Don’t worry about the setting of the show; other than referring to going to Whyte Ave. Edmonton doesn’t play much into the plot, so our ongoing rivalry shouldn’t deter you. If you are looking for some old fashioned detective work with a unique twist check out And Then, The Lights Went Out.