A theatre group with a unique twist will be stopping in Stettler in April, and they have local roots.
The Accidental Humour Co. will be presenting their multimedia theatre peformance of The Flying Detective on Sun, April 3, a full two years after the show was supposed to be performed.
The Flying Detective had been booked by Stettler Variety Showcase (SVS) to close the 2019/2020 performance season; unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the health restrictions which were introduced as a result the show had to be postponed.
According to Rose Fenske, one of the volunteer organizers with SVS, all tickets from the 2020 show will be honoured for the April 3 performances.
Two of the group members still have ties to the Stettler area.
Kim Stadelmann, one of the group’s founding members was born and raised in the Stettler area.
Another founding member of the group, Brent Felzien, the writer and film director of the production, grew up in Forestberg.
Unlike traditional theatre, the Accidental Humour Co. blends both live theatre and cinema action together.
For The Flying Detective, some cinematic scenes were filmed on the railway in the Big Valley area using Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions steam train.
“It’s based on a true story,” said Stadelmann.
“The (production) is a history/comedy. A sort of Indiana Jones-type (story) based on true events.”
The true events in The Flying Detective relate to the first aerial pursuit of a murder suspect in Canada set shortly after World War One.
According to Stadelmann, despite the morbid topic of the production, the show is fun and “fairly family friendly.”
“It is a very Albertan story,” said Stadelmann.
“It’s a beloved one for all of us.”
This is the seventh or eighth production for the group, and they perform all original material.
Typically it will take the group around a year to write a production, followed by another year to get it produced.
The Flying Detective will be performing two shows, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 3.
Tickets are $35, available at Grate Kitchen and at the door.
— Editors note: This story has been updated to correct Kim Stadelmann’s name, from Kim Stads, as previous reported.