The newest production being put on by the Abbey Players at Saint Anselm College is The Mystery of Edwin Drood. As the school’s spring play, the musical will be shown on the weekends from March 24 to April 1.

Based on an unfinished novel by Charles Dickens, the musical features a group of Victorian Musical Hall entertainers as they attempt to learn the truth behind the disappearance of a character named Edwin Drood.

Joel Mercier, the stage director behind The Mystery of Edwin Drood, describes the musical as “dark and mysterious, yet fun and humorous.”

Throughout the course of the play, various things go wrong, including missing actors, props, and fourth wall breaks. Mercier also calls the play “a very unique ‘choose your own adventure’ musical” that Saint Anselm has not seen before.

Mark Kelly, a senior at Saint Anselm College, plays the Chairman, who serves as a narrator for the events that unfold.

Kelly explains, “Edwin Drood disappears and each main character possesses a motive of some kind,” but what makes the musical truly distinctive is how it ends. Kelly states, “Because Dickens never finished the work, the audience votes upon several questions each night, the most important being the identity of the murderer. With this range of variety, no performance will be the same!”

Similarly, Dr. Landis Magnuson, the producer of Edwin Drood, says, “Key for me is that this musical is a rare ‘audience participation’ musical where the voting by the audience determines the ending of each and every performance! It is rare to see such a production in N.H. It is possible that with the five performances, no two performances will have the same ending!”

The play will certainly be a remarkable experience for the Anselmian community, with such an uncommon theatrical twist. Giving the audience the power to control the plot brings something special to the musical, letting viewers not just sit and watch, but engage in the play as well.

On approaching such a different type of performance, Joel Mercier says the Abbey Players are “very excited to be tackling it and bringing it to the college community and the greater Manchester area.”

The Abbey Players perform The Mystery of Edwin Drood in the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, March 26 at 2:00 pm; and Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 pm. Tickets may be purchased on-campus at The Dana Center or on-line at www.anselm.edu/dana. Tickets are $13.00 and $15.00 plus applicable fees with Saint Anselm College student seating at $6.00.