The blackmailing drug dealer is definitely dead and it’s no secret who struck the mortal blow.

Or is it?

That’s the puzzle posed by the prolific mistress of mystery Agatha Christie in her murderous comedy “Spider’s Web,” which began a two weekend run Friday evening at the Bristol Opera House.

A bridge game is a diversion in this scene from the Elkhart Civic Theatre production of Agatha Christie's "Spider Web." From left (seated) are James Bain, David Robey and Ricky Fields and (standing) David Smith, Julia Herrli Castello and Annette Dilworth Kaczanowski.

In the time honored Christie tradition, nothing is at it seems to be and nothing is really revealed until the final curtain is about to fall. Also in the Christie tradition are mountains of dialogue which, in the wrong hands (and mouths) could be as deadly as the crime itself. Add to that the two and one half hour running time (plus intermission) and you have a cure for insomnia waiting to happen.

But there are no snoozes scheduled here.

Director Dave Dufour, Elkhart Civic Theatre’s Christie  specialist, has assembled a cast  that manages to keep everyone on their toes, both off stage and on. He also has perfected the art of inserting periodic visuals that wink at the audience and keep viewers wide-eyed until the real culprit is revealed.

In this he is aided and abetted by an ensemble that, for the most part, knows just what to do with Christie’s sometimes daunting speeches and creates slyly unique characters, each of whom appears to have something to hide.

These are British peer Sir Rowland Delahaye (David Robey), Hugo Birch (James Bain), his Scottish sidekick in wine-tasting, golf and bridge, and Jeremy Warrender (Ricky Fields), the youngest member of their gaming trio. All are gathered at Copplestone Court, a country estate rented by Henry Hallsham-Brown (John Hutchings), a diplomat in the Foreign Office, with his younger second wife, Clarissa (Annette Dilworth Kaczsnowski),  whose favorite game is “supposing,” and his teen-age daughter Pippa (Carly Swendsen), who has secrets of her own.

Enter Oliver Costello (Carl Weisinger), the husband of Pippa’s mother and a nefarious sort whose appearance is surveyed with suspicion by the butler Elgin (Anthony Venable) and whose exit is encouraged by Mildred Peak (Kellie Kelleher), the rough-and-ready gardener.  The last two rightly earn many of the evening’s laughs, while the “there but not there” award definitely goes to Weisinger.

The players having been gathered, all that remains is for one to be dispatched in a murderous fashion after which Inspector Lord (David Smith) and Constable Jones (Julia Herrli Castello) arrive on the scene to unravel the deadly web. As in all Christie mysteries, they must wade through a seemingly endless number of red herrings in search of the truth.

Each of the actors delivers a consistent character in keeping with the demands of his or her role and sustain them throughout, even handling the required accents — frequently a fatal stumbling  block — and allowing the audience to follow the convoluted chain of events and evidence up to the finale. Secret drawers, hidden rooms, invisible messages and political intrigue all combine to keep the detectives (and the audience) off balance until, as in all Christie novels and plays, an extensive explanation is delivered.

Special applause must go to Kaczanowski whose character is front and center for most of the action and much of the dialogue. She meets these daunting demands delightfully, with a charm and sparkle without which “Spider’s Web” could be deadly.

Once again, set designer John Shoup has created an elegant backdrop for the deadly doings, while Dufour and assistant director Randy  Zonker are responsible for the moody and enjoyably “mellerdramatic” lighting effects.

“SPIDER’S WEB” plays at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the Bristol Opera House . Tickets are $13 for adults and $11 for students and senior citizens. Call 848-4116  between 1 and 5:30 p.m. weekdays.