Trickery and diversion are at the heart of a new whodunnit penned by Wilberforce’s Mary Barker, with the Loop Troupe returning to a new venue next month.
The local performative group is partnering with the Wilberforce Legion for The Art of Deception, with a 12-person cast appearing in two shows April 11 and 12. Barker dubbed the production “a masterpiece of bad decisions” that centres on a missing painting produced by County-based artist Luann Coghlan.
The feature also includes dinner, put together by the legion – cordon bleu is on the menu the first night, with lasagna served during the encore.
“The legion approached us last fall about doing something unique to celebrate the 100th anniversary of legions in Canada – I did some brainstorming and the story will definitely tie into that centennial,” Barker said.
Most of the roles are small, she said, with the lead detective portrayed by Gary Mount – a veteran of several Loop Troupe productions. Coghlan will also play a minor role.
“She’s our artist who has produced a masterpiece. In the story, the masterpiece goes missing and it’s the detective’s job to figure out what happened,” Barker added.
Legion president, Rick Cleveland, will also be appearing – portraying himself as head of the Wilberforce establishment.
“It’s not going to take a lot of acting,” he said. “We’ve been rehearsing for a few weeks now and it’s been a lot of fun. I’m not sure if it’s been more laughing or acting.”
Cleveland said the dinner theatre is serving as a fundraiser for the legion, with all proceeds going towards “long overdue” kitchen upgrades. He didn’t have an estimated cost or timeline as of press time but said the renovation will include the installation of a new dishwasher, fridge, freezer and self-contained deep fryers. The space itself will also be reconfigured, adding new countertops and a secondary access.
The legion has become a popular dining destination for locals in recent years, Cleveland said, with Wednesday night quick dinners and fish and chips and wings on alternate Fridays drawing dozens of people every week. The space is also used by the legion’s womens’ auxiliary for breakfast on the second Sunday of the month.
“In the summer we do well to get around 100 people out for the dinners… it’s lower during the winter, but we still have a good group of people who turn up every week,” Cleveland said.
He doesn’t remember the last time the kitchen was upgraded, noting it had been many years, so the planned renovations are “a major, major positive.”
Barker said 2026 will likely be a quieter year for the Loop Troupe.
“We were going to try and do another feature this spring, but this partnership with the legion mushroomed into something much larger than we originally thought. We won’t have anything original that we’ve written ourselves ready for the fall, but we are trying to find a suitable play we can bring in,” Barker said. “We are planning for another locally-produced major play in spring 2027.”
The April 11 show is sold out, with tickets for April 12 available at Agnew’s General Store. Barker said there will be 60 people at each sitting.
Also this weekend:
• Sleeping in Cars returns to Head Lake Park the evening of March 27, with people raising money for Places for People.
• The annual spring splash pond jump at Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride is March 28 at 1 p.m. Spectators are welcome to watch the contest as jumpers try their luck making it across their 80-foot pond. Registration is
• Spring Hop, March 28, noon to 3 p.m. in Head Lake Park, Haliburton. Join the RE/MAX Professionals North team for a day of free Easter fun for all ages. Easter egg hunt; face painting; Easter crafts and colouring station; and photos with the Easter Bunny. They are collecting monetary and non-perishable donations for the Haliburton 4 C’s Food Bank.
• The Easter Egg Hunt returns to Sir Sam’s, on the bunny hill, from 11 a.m. March 29. The unique egg hunt features a skiing egg hunt (conditions permitting) and a walkable egg hunt. Accompaniment by a parent is recommended. Appropriate for children ages three -10 years old. First 150 children will receive a chocolate bunny.
• Calendar Girls continues…March 27 at 7 p.m. and March 28 at 2 p.m. at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Centre.
