STAGE REVIEW : ‘Night Must Fall’ Has a Moment or Two Despite Plot

The premise behind Emyln Williams’ “Night Must Fall” is as old as the mustiest murder mystery: Into an unsuspecting household of bored and boring folk comes a beguiling young man. But what really lurks under the pleasing facade? Only the shadows know for sure.

Trite as the setup may be, it pays off at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse. There are some definite problems with this production--uneven direction and acting, to name a couple--but a squall of suspense overcomes the hackneyed plot, and a slightly screwy but satisfying performance by Craig Bentley Harrill as Dan, the man in question, also makes for some diverting fun.

The action takes place in the home of Mrs. Bramson (Dorthea Kelsey), a nasty-mouthed, wheelchair-bound British matron attended to by a small gang of secretaries, nurses and maids. Everyone sits around listening to her complain until word of a woman’s disappearance in the nearby village breaks their routine.

As the headlines tell of the search and foul play, Dan, the maid’s boyfriend, enters the house and quickly charms Bramson. In what seems like minutes, he has insinuated himself into a job as the rich old woman’s helper and confidant. He has fooled Bramson, but her secretary, Olivia (Terrell Bond), is dubious.

It doesn’t take long to learn whether Dan is a murderer and exactly what his motives are.

With his smooth moves and easy smile, Harrill makes Dan an enigmatic and credible character, a lower-class rambler who just may be sociopathic, maybe even psychotic. Harrill is sharp at conveying a sense of moral vacancy, but his temple-grabbing madman’s collapses are overdone--remember James Cagney going really nuts in “White Heat”?--and end up more parody than anything else.

As Olivia, Bond is primly middle-class, just the type who would suspect Dan as much for his class status as for his manipulative ways. She is less successful hinting at the case of the hots that simmers for him under her crusty surface. Kelsey’s Bramson sounds and acts like Ruth Gordon with a bad hangover; this performance needs some heavy tuning.

‘NIGHT MUST FALL’ A Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse production of Emyln Williams’ mystery. Directed by Pati Tambellini. With Craig Bentley Harrill, Terrell Bond, Dorthea Kelsey, Brinda Andrews, Robert Halverson, Denise Kenney, Lori Hoppes and Glen LeRoy Smith. Sets by Lonnie Alcaraz and Darlene Roth. Lighting by John Orr. Sound by Jim Bell. Plays Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Feb. 14 at 661 Hamilton St., Costa Mesa. Tickets: $5 and $6. (714) 650-5269.