In Washington Stage Guild’s latest production, three 19th-century ladies are ready to crack another case. The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective is back in business.
Escape from the Asylum: A Madcap Mystery is a comedic drama by Patricia Milton in the form of a British detective story. The story is a sequel to The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective, which was put on by Washington Stage Guild in February 2024, but it’s not necessary to have seen the first play to follow this one. Directed by Morgan Duncan, Escape from the Asylum is a fresh and enjoyable take on the “whodunit” genre.
In the play, we meet Loveday Fortescue, Valeria Hunter, and Katherine Smalls, a trio of lady detectives — the only all-female collective in England. They are eager for business and itching for a new case to boost their reputation and earn them some much-needed income.
The haughty Mr. Clutterbuck approaches the collective with a request to help him solve the mystery of his wife’s inheritance — valuable maps and artwork — disappearing from his home, which is protected by a newfangled anti-burglary system. Clutterbuck believes his wife’s lady’s maid, a plain woman called Miss Smith, is the culprit.
But the ladies are aghast when they find out Mr. Clutterbuck has locked his wife in an asylum for a disorder called “uterine fury.” They resolve not to accept Clutterbuck’s money, but to deduce the truth about his thieving maid on their own time, all the while secretly scheming to free his wife Mehetabel Fernsby, once a famous explorer, from her psychiatric jail. The ladies are sure that solving the cases and helping Mehetabel will give them a flood of good publicity, leading to more paying clients than they can dream of.
This production does a lot with a little, with only one setting and four actors. The entirety of the play takes place in the Hunter Lodging House. The set, designed by Megan Holden, is a cozy living room with blue and purple wallpaper, antique wooden furniture, and plenty of knickknacks, posters, and other charming details. Only at one point does the tale leave the living room, when Valeria is shown in pursuit of the potential thief Miss Smith out on the streets of Battersea.
The four actors expertly weave this story with clever quips, carefully dropped clues, and enthralling dialogue. Maddie Baylor is positively delightful as the quick-witted American boarder, Katherine Smalls, who is an actor as well as a lady detective. Jen Furlong and Laura Giannarelli make a hilarious sororal pairing as the bold and daring Loveday and the timid but strong Valeria.
Steven Carpenter is extraordinary as he glides seamlessly between no less than five roles in this production: the arrogant Clutterbuck; the gullible asylum director Dr. von Grabstetter; Constable Crane; a hard-hearted theater director, Mr. Phillips; and even Miss Smith, a lady’s maid suspected of an egregious crime.
This play has no shortage of comedic moments, highlights of which include Dr. von Grabstetter insisting on the prevalence of phallic metaphors in Viennese psychology, and a riotous fake seance complete with gaudy dress up. The women in this story face many obstacles in their careers and personal lives due to both misogyny and racism, but they show time and time again that they know how to scheme unfair systems in order to succeed in their own right, and have a laugh while they’re at it.
The mystery is well-written and cleverly pieced together, with clues dropped throughout the story that end up fitting into a neat and clever puzzle. Escape from the Asylum: A Madcap Mystery is a detective story with heart, humor, and a splash of political resistance.
Running Time: Two hours, with one 15-minute intermission.
Escape from the Asylum: A Madcap Mystery plays through February 23, 2025, presented by Washington Stage Guild, performing at The Undercroft Theatre at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Prices are $50 for Thursday evening performances and Saturday and Sunday matinees, and $60 for Saturday evenings. Students are half-price, and seniors over 65 get a $10 discount. Tickets can be purchased online.
Cast and creative credits are here.
COVID Safety: Masks are recommended (not required). Washington Stage Guild’s complete Health and Safety Policy is here.
Escape from the Asylum: A Madcap Mystery
Written by Patricia Milton; Directed by Morgan Duncan; Scenic Design by Megan Holden; Costume Design by Cody Von Ruden; Lighting Design by Marianne Meadows; Sound Design by Mike Winch; Stage Manager Elaine M. Randolph; Assistant Stage Manager Luca Maggs; Fight Choreography by Bess Kaye; Specialty Props by Joe Largess; Artistic Director Bill Largess; Associate Artistic Director Steven Carpenter
CAST
Loveday Fortescue: Jen Furlong
Valeria Hunter: Laura Giannarelli
Katherine Smalls: Maddie Baylor
Crane/Clutterbuck/von Grabstetter/Phillips/Smith: Steven Carpenter
SEE ALSO:
‘Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective’ gets clued in at Washington Stage Guild (review by Sophia Howes, February 8, 2024)
