Mass Murderer on the Loose — Maybe
Reviewed by Mary Alderson
There is a murderous gang on the loose in the small towns around Bobcaygeon. These are tiny, obscure villages that you may not even be familiar with. Yet these villages host some of the most horrific murderers ever known. These murders take place twice a year, often in the late spring and just before Christmas.
The latest murder took place in Little Balls Falls, just outside Bobcaygeon. You can learn how this mysterious murder went down if you go to the Globus Theatre and perhaps restore justice to the community.
This was the deadliest of the string of murders. In fact, an entire choir with 20 or so members, including little children, were all poisoned at an annual Christmas celebration and foul play was immediately suspected. What’s even more astounding – there were a number of members of the local police force in the audience, but they refused to get involved in the search for the killer or killers, as they were off-duty. The party organizers, not wanting to ruin the fete, shoved the bodies aside so the celebrations could continue.
This unlikely group of people behind the scenes at the fete were shockingly inept at dealing with this dreadful poisoning. Chairperson Garry Garland was more interested in pursuing a woman named Ivy Wintergreen at the party, than he was with the welfare of the local community. Ms. Wintergreen was concerned only about getting noticed in her bright red dress at the event, and catching the eye of the minor celebrity Jerry “Jingle” Bell, a DJ at the small-coverage radio station. Mr. Bell was intent on changing the style of the long-running fete, and bringing the event into the 21st century, which angered Mr. Garland who wanted the fete to continue with all the old traditional events.
Chris Carroll, a local shop owner and a volunteer at the party kept trying to get Mr. Garland’s attention, but his interests were elsewhere. Ms. Carroll was frustrated in her attempt to catch Mr. Garland’s eye. A newcomer to the community, Timmy Townie, was trying to promote his travel blog, eager to play up the Christmas aspect of the area. A latecomer, Nick Klaus took time away from his hardware store to attend the fete dressed as Santa, and was encouraging all the party-goers to sit on his knee for photographs.
Several of those in attendance at the fete claimed to know who had contaminated the mints that were found to be the source of the poison that had killed the choir members. Pointing fingers was easy, but they had little proof to back up their accusations.
So, while there was a murderer named at the end of the evening, I remain skeptical that they have fingered the right person. Perhaps you should check out the scene of the murder and make your own decision.
Mixing murder mystery, improv and audience interaction makes for a fun evening. Adding to the laughs is a cast of seasoned comedic performers, ready to improvise with the audience and each other. You will recognize some of them from past murder mysteries. Chris Gibbs is perfect as the chairperson clinging to his leadership role in organizing the event. Barb Scheffler is a delight as the enthusiastic Little Balls Falls bauble shop owner. You will remember Scheffler from her role in The Beaver Club this past summer. She is also the playwright of The Beaver Club.
Sandy Jobin Bevans plays the handsome radio DJ Jerry Bell with just the right amount of swagger. Kylee Evans is perfect as the beautiful Ivy Wintergreen, who has come back to her home town. Kerry Griffin as Timmy Townie thinks he has solved the murders but later reveals too much of himself, to the audience’s delight. Santa Claus, aka Nick Klaus, aka James Barrett adds to the suspense upon his late arrival.
Also starring is the delicious Globus Theatre dinner. Canapes of all kinds are served as the audience learns the backstories of each character, then a full Christmas dinner – turkey and ham with all the trimmings—is served, followed by the best desserts of the season: a special apple crumble, chocolate pudding cake with candy cane topping, or sticky toffee pudding, all offered with the appropriately-flavoured ice cream.
Please come and do your best to apprehend the killer who remains at large. I think.
The Little Balls Falls Christmas Fete-ality continues at the Globus Theatre near Bobcaygeon, until November 22. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at 705-738-2037 or 1-800-304-7897 or visit https://www.globustheatre.com/current-season
Photo: Back: Chris Carol (Barb Scheffler) and Ivy Wintergreen (Kylee Evans). Front: Timmy Townie (Kerry Griffin), Garry Garland (Chris Gibbs), and Jerry “Jingle” Bell (Sandy Jobin Bevans). Photo by Globus Theatre.
Little Balls Falls Christmas Fete-ality
By Globus Theatre
Performed by Barb Scheffler, Kylee Evans, Kerry Griffin, Chris Gibbs, Sandy Jobin Bevans, James Barrett.
Globus Theatre, Bobcaygeon
November 13 to 22, 2025
Reviewed by Mary Alderson