Opening Night (also published as Night at the Vulcan) is the sixteenth book in Ngaio Marsh’s Inspector Roderick Alleyn series and like many of her novels has a theatrical setting, which makes it perfect for Reading the Theatre, hosted this month by Lory of Entering the Enchanted Castle.
Published in 1951, the novel opens with Martyn Tarne, a young woman from New Zealand, arriving in London to look for acting work. After an exhausting day of unsuccessful auditions and meetings with agents, she eventually finds herself at the door of the Vulcan Theatre where rehearsals are about to begin for a new play, Thus to Revisit. Disappointingly, the play has already been cast, but there’s a vacancy for a dresser to the leading actress, Helena Hamilton, and Martyn finds herself accepting the job.
The next 100+ pages (of a 240 page book) are devoted to describing the backstage preparations for the play, Martyn’s work as first a dresser and then an understudy, and the relationships and interactions between the various members of the cast. There is no hint of any crime until we reach the middle of the book and no sign of Inspector Alleyn either until after the halfway point. I think how much you enjoy this novel will depend on whether you picked it up just because you wanted to read a murder mystery or because you were drawn to the setting.
The crime, when it eventually occurs, involves the death on opening night of one of the actors, Clark Bennington, who is found unconscious backstage after inhaling gas. Suicide is assumed – everyone knows that Bennington has been unhappy and has a drinking problem – but when Alleyn arrives to investigate, he quickly decides that the man was murdered. There are plenty of suspects and motives; for a start, Bennington was married to Helena Hamilton, who has openly been having an affair with one of the other actors, Adam Poole. Also, Bennington is known to have had several heated arguments and altercations before and during the opening night. And to complicate things further, Martyn Tarne’s arrival at the Vulcan has not been welcomed by everyone, least of all Gay Gainsford, a young actress who feels that her role in the company is threatened by Martyn.
Although I would have preferred the murder to have come earlier in the book, once it does happen and Alleyn’s investigation gets under way, the mystery becomes quite an interesting and compelling one. I guessed who the murderer was, but not the motive – and I think it would be very difficult to work that out before it’s revealed right at the end of the book. The mystery is definitely secondary to the setting in this novel, though; Ngaio Marsh herself was a theatre director and her love and knowledge of the theatre comes through very strongly.
Have you read any of Marsh’s Inspector Alleyn novels, theatrical or otherwise? I’ve read very little of her work compared to other Golden Age crime writers so would love to hear your recommendations.
She Reads Novels 
Ooh, this sounds good! I prefer my mysteries to have atmospheric settings and I love backstage drama. Thanks so much for taking part in Reading the Theatre.
There’s plenty of backstage drama in this one! Hopefully you would enjoy it more than the other Ngaio Marsh book you reviewed recently.
I hadn’t even heard of her until recently, but everything sounds great so I must get started!
I don’t think she compares to Agatha Christie, but definitely worth reading!
Interesting. I don’t think I’ve read much (or indeed anything) by Ngaio Marsh beyond a few short stories. I used to work backstage for an amateur dramatic group for a few years so I might find this one particularly interesting! I’ll look out for her novels in any future shopping trips…
I think this is only the second book I’ve read by her, plus one or two short stories. I’m sure you would find this one interesting with your experience of amateur dramatics!
I have read everything Ngaio March ever published, but Night at the Vulcan is still one of my favourites. Flawless? No. A delightful read? Absolutely, yes. I strongly recommend Artists in Crime, as well.
Thanks, Rachel – I’ll keep Artists in Crime in mind when I next decide to read a Ngaio Marsh novel.
I read her first book earlier this year and I enjoyed it. That one is set at a country estate in England, another fun setting. But I haven’t read any of her other books. I want to, but maybe not this one. I like the murder to take place a little earlier in books like this. 😀
Yes, I prefer mysteries where the crime takes place earlier too. I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed the first book. I do like country house settings as well.
I read quite a lot of her in my youth but would find it difficult to remember which ones I most enjoyed now. I’ve been revisiting a couple of them recently and enjoying them – Artists in Crime has been my favourite so far. She does tend to get a bit bogged down in either art or theatre, but the mysteries are usually good enough to keep it interesting. (She also gets horribly snobbish sometimes!)
You’re the second person to mention Artists in Crime, so I’ll definitely have to look out for that one!
I read them all years ago. My favourites are the ones featuring Troy, Alleyn’s love interest whom he marries. Don’t recall the title but one with a famous actor whose portrait Troy is commissioned to paint remains in my memory.
Troy didn’t appear in this one at all – I don’t think she was even mentioned – but I’ll look forward to meeting her when I read more of Marsh’s books.
I couldn’t get started on the one Alleyn mystery I tried, Overture to Death, which I’d picked up because of its music theme. I just couldn’t get past the first couple of pages, with its cast of local worthies: to bourgeois, perhaps, too parochial, maybe too stereotypically cosy? Ho hum, I may try again when I’m more in the mood. 🙂
Oooh, Overture to Death was, sadly, one of her less good ones. Readable, but not at all in the same category as Opening Night/Night at the Vulcan, Artists in Crime, or Clutch of Constables.
Thanks for these recommendations, Rachel, I’ll look out for them! 🙂
I remember vaguely years ago reading that Marsh’s theatrical novels were the best, but at the time I was at the mercy of what showed up in the bookstore, and I think I only read one of those (although I read about a dozen of the seires). That was years and years ago. I think it might be time to revisit Marsh and try to read the series from the beginning.
I don’t know if I like her books enough to want to read the whole series, but I’m sure I’ll be reading a few more of them at least.
I probably wouldn’t read it all, but I would read it until I got tired of it.
I really enjoyed this one precisely because of the setting – though, as you say, was surprised the crime came so late in the story. I haven’t read any other Marshes yet, but certainly intend to. I recently bought the brilliantly titled Spinsters in Jeopardy.
Yes, I thought the theatrical setting was the real attraction of this book rather than the crime. I hope Spinsters in Jeopardy is as great as it sounds!
Heard an excellent audiobook version and found the abrupt marriage proposal to the ingenue by the 40 year old lead and lover of the married star a bizarre ending. The mystery solution was hardly foreshadowed at all. Excellent theatre setting but wasted on a badly developed romance cum mystery plot.
Yes, I agree. The theatrical setting was the most interesting thing about this book. I still haven’t read any more of Marsh’s novels since reading this one, but I’m hoping some of her others will have stronger mystery elements.
just heard same narrator Saxon reading Singing in the Shrouds. Imo, this is a far better mystery, where the characters are well developed in the direction of a credible solution. The killer is a little predictable but rounded. The other characters, save the young lovers, are sufficiently unpleasant to be suspicious.