Feuding theatre critics Moon and Birdboot are swept into the whodunit they’re reviewing in this hilarious spoof of Agatha Christie-esque melodrama. In the wild proceedings that follow, reality and make-believe blur, the body count rises, and no one is quite who they say they are. As mists rise around the isolated Muldoon Manor, Moon and Birdboot become ludicrously intertwined in the murderous rampage of an escaped madman. 

The “Real Inspector Hound” was written by Tom Stoppard when he was just 25 as a critique of the very reviewers who are the play’s main characters. This parody of the classic murder mystery invites audiences to question reality and ask, “What if you entered the play? What if you answered that old-timey telephone during intermission and the phone call was actually for you?”

Director Reba Askari says that she has embraced the parody: “We are blurring fiction and reality by breaking the fourth wall into many walls, and then tearing all those walls down completely.” At its core, she says, the play is a love letter to theatre that takes audiences on a wild ride through a fast-paced murder mystery. She says that bringing the show to life with USM Theatre students “has left me in complete awe of our incredible actors who are so willing to dive in and play.” So, sit back, embrace the absurdity, and good luck solving the mystery.

Show Info
“The Real Inspector Hound”
By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Reba Askari
Oct. 23 – Nov. 1, 2026
Russell Hall, USM Gorham Campus
10/23 at 7 p.m.
10/24 at 7 p.m.
10/25 at 2 p.m.
10/28 at 10 a.m.
10/29 at 7 p.m. (Pay What You Can)
10/30 at 7 p.m.
11/1 at 2 p.m.
Content Advisories: Sexual references, use of gunshot sound effects
Age appropriateness: 12 and up
Show length: 75 minutes with no intermission

Ticket Info
General Admission: $18
Senior 65+: $12
USM Faculty/Staff/Alumni: $14
USM Students & Non-USM Students: $8
Group rate: $8/person – for schools and community groups
Pay-What-You-Can: Thursday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.
To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit PortTIX at:
https://porttix.com/whats-on/the-real-inspector-hound/
Call (207) 842-0800
In-person at 400 Congress St., Suite A, Portland