If Sherlock Holmes were Mary Poppins, she might be just like Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride

By Reina Hardy

Susan Swayne loves few things more than good manners, a sharp blade, and the challenge of bringing criminals to justice in the streets of Victorian London. But when a rival threatens her position in the Society of Lady Detectives, she begins to unravel a sordid little mystery that puts both her deductive reasoning and her decorum to the test!

With razor-sharp wit and even sharper blades, Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride by Reina Hardy is the next swashbuckling adventure to take over the Know MainStage.

Directed by Know Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters, this unconventional take on the classic Victorian whodunit is part action-adventure, part queer sex farce, and part contemporary spin on the comedic chaos of Gilbert & Sullivan. Add in a vicious little murder mystery and comically compromising circumstances, and you have just the tonic for what ails you this holiday season.

In a time when murder and mayhem lurk amongst London’s ubiquitous fog, Susan Swayne patrols the night, ready to deliver nefarious ne’er-do-wells both swift justice and a stern talking-to. After some vigorous fisticuffs thanks to a mistaken identity, Swayne makes the acquaintance of Isabelle Fontaine-Kite, a young bride desperately searching for her missing husband Eric.

Swayne invites Isabelle into the inner sanctum of the Society of Lady Detectives, and that’s when the trouble really begins…

Corsets, crossdressing, swords, wit, and wickedness – what more could you want from a holiday frolic? Running November 24 – December 16 at Your Theatrical Playground.

Where: Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Tickets: $25 regular price tickets

$35 “Living Wage” tickets, supporting working artists in Cincinnati

$15 Rush tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain (when available)

FREE walk-up tickets are available on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment. Advance reservations to Welcome Experiment performances are $5.00.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669 (KNOW).

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.

This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Herald.