The Long Beach Playhouse\u2019s Mainstage Theater will dive headfirst into whodunit territory with Agatha Christie\u2019s \u201cGo Back for Murder,\u201d which will run from Saturday, Jan. 10, to Feb. 7.<\/p>\n
Written by Christie herself in 1960 and directed by Philip Brickey, this ingenious and sometimes-overlooked thriller from the \u201cQueen of Mystery\u201d revisits a devastating family crime and asks whether the truth can ever fully escape the distortions of memory and time.<\/p>\n
At the center of the story is Carla Crale, a young woman convinced her mother was wrongly convicted of murdering her husband 16 years earlier. Determined to clear her mother\u2019s name, Carla persuades the people who were present on the day of the crime to return to the scene and \u201cgo back\u201d in time \u2014 each recounting their version of events.<\/p>\n
As the play fluidly shifts between past and present, the characters \u2014 and the audience \u2014 discovers first-hand how perception can shape and reshape reality.<\/p>\n
The production features a strong ensemble cast led by Nina Rae as Carla\/Caroline Crale, with Lee Samuel Tanng as Justin Fogg, Taylor Goss in the dual roles of Amyas Crale and Jeff Rogers, and Aaron Izbicki as Philip Blake.<\/p>\n
They are joined by Talitha Barkow (Elsa Greer), Michael Hovance (Meredith Blake\/Turnball), Sarah Green (Miss Williams) and Amber Toomey (Angela Warren), each bringing their distinct perspective \u2014 and possible motive \u2014 to the mystery.<\/p>\n
Performances include a half-price preview on Friday, Jan. 9, followed by opening night and a champagne gala on Saturday, Jan. 10, with shows continuing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (the latter of which are matinees) through closing night on Feb. 7.<\/p>\n
For fans of detective dramas and psychological intrigue \u2014 think \u201cKnives Out\u201d but more than half a century ago \u2014 \u201cGo Back for Murder\u201d hopes to offer an elegant, suspenseful evening.<\/p>\n
If you want an even bigger dose of the classics at Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., revisit a beloved teen comedy through Shakespearean verse with \u201cThe Club of Broken Fasts\u201d at the Studio Theatre from Friday to Sunday.<\/p>\n
This madcap, poetic twist on the spirit of John Hughes\u2019 iconic 1985 film \u201cThe Breakfast Club\u201d transforms the story of high-school detention into a heightened theatrical comedy.Set in the Playhouse\u2019s Studio Theatre as part of the 2026 Studio Collaborative Season, the production embraces both the emotional truths of adolescence and the playful rhythm of Elizabethan language.<\/p>\n
In this reimagining, five archetypal students \u2014 Brian the Brain, Claire the Princess, Andrew the Jock, Allison the Madwoman and Bender the Wretch \u2014 are forced to spend a Saturday together under the watchful eye of vice principal Vernon.<\/p>\n
Through shared revelations, the group\u2019s members slowly shed their stereotypes, revealing the vulnerability and humanity beneath all their bravado.<\/p>\n