Markham Little Theatre is turning to true crime for the next show of its 60th anniversary season. The community company will stage Drowning Girls, by Canadian playwrights Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson and Daniela Vlaskalic, at the Flato Markham Theatre from Feb. 11 to 14.

The play is based on the case of George Joseph Smith, an early 20th-century British serial killer who married women and drowned them in their bathtubs. The script does not centre on him. It is told entirely by three of his victims, Alice, Margaret and Bessie, who speak directly to the audience and act out one another’s stories.

While it may seem counterintuitive, the play is playful.

— Carol Santagato-Davies, director

Santagato-Davies told the Markham Review that the women are able to laugh at themselves and at their killer as they come to understand who he really was. She described the mood as bittersweet.

Three actors, 20 characters

The cast is relatively new to the company. Lindsay Woodford, who plays Bessie, is the one returning member, having played Carrie in the company’s 2023 production of Drinking Alone. Christine Sawka Fraser, as Margaret, and Alyssa Spear, as Alice, have performed often in the area but are making their Markham Little Theatre debuts.

Between them, the three actors take on 20 characters. The production uses stylized movement, rhythmic language and moments of vaudeville-style comedy, with a simple set by Wayne Milliner and lighting and sound cues that move the action between bathtubs, train stations, courtrooms and memories.

The three tubs are the focus, while the nuances and details of the set suggest the fourth character in the play is the water.

— Carol Santagato-Davies, director

A volunteer production

As with all of the company’s shows, the production is run by volunteers, from rehearsals to front of house. Asked why people should see it, the director said:

I love that it’s an emotionally charged, bittersweet, Canadian play written by three women about three women who deserve justice.

— Carol Santagato-Davies, director

Tickets and show times are available at markhamtheatre.ca.