A dark comedy/thriller by John Muggleton

4 characters (2 M, 2 F)

An Act of Grace by John Muggleton is a highly acclaimed, dark comedic thriller and "whodunit" play featuring sharp dialogue, strong performances, and multiple plot twists, often described as a gripping "rollercoaster". Originally an Ottawa Little Theatre production, it garnered 4-5 star reviews during its 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe run. 

Plot & Tone: The play centers on a wealthy woman named Grace, a lawyer named Tony, and a couple, featuring unexpected, non-linear twists. Critics compare its suspenseful, "nasty" character-driven nature to the play Sleuth and the work of Hitchcock.

Performances & Production: Performances are frequently described as "superb" and "world-class". Venetia Lawless, in particular, was praised for her commanding stage presence as Grace.
Reception: The play is lauded for being a "refreshing" and suspenseful thriller with intense, quick-paced dialogue.

"Things are not as they seem and a surprise lurks around every corner of this show. A mystery for the ages, it’s worth catching this one before its time in Ottawa runs out!"

- Ottawa Tonite



Curtain Club Theatre
Richmond Hill, ON
January, 2026

Antarang theatre

Mumbai, India

February 2025

Bequia International Theatre Festival
Bequia, Grenadines
Feb 2025

Ottawa Little Theatre
Ottawa, ON
June 2024

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Scotland, UK

August 2024

Scotton Hall
Ottawa, ON
May 2022

Paper Bag Players
Yorkton, SK
October 2021

The Gladstone Theatre
Ottawa, ON
September 2019

Ottawa Little Theatre
Ottawa, ON
(Special performance)
November 2019

Domino Theatre
Kingston, ON
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​An Act of Grace

"Ottawa actor, producer and playwright John Muggleton (Burn 2022) has created a smartly written suspense that opens with a prologue that does a solid job of capturing the audience’s attention. Grace’s backstory is reminiscent of a gruesome crime that ended the lives of a Toronto almost a decade ago, but this is a work of fiction that takes twists and turns the audience does not predict without any of the horror.

The play is the study of desperate characters who are pushed even further outside their comfort zones. They aren’t bad people, just highly flawed. But aren’t most of us flawed? Don’t most people put forth a public image they want others to buy into, as Chuck did with his headshot advertisements on the side of the downtown bus? As for Grace, she is surrounded by the accoutrements of wealth, but among all her finer things sit an IKEA chair that she proclaims is her favourite.."

- Ottawa Life Magazine

"John Muggleton’s script presents the situation as a fast-moving and witty dark comedy as the dialogue zings back and forth between Chuck, Tony and Grace effortlessly. The various narrative twists and turns come at an equally rapid pace without feeling contrived; instead, they serve to escalate the dramatic and comedic potential of what is already a tantalising concept. Muggleton handles the frequent shifts between comedy and suspense without any of the transition points feeling too jarring, particularly at the climax when all three characters are physically and mentally pushed to the edge. He also ensures that Chuck, Tony and Grace are equally fleshed-out characters, with individual weaknesses that can be exploited for either their own gain or the advantage of others, as well as adding greater motivations for their actions."

​- Adam Thornton, The Wee Review Edinburgh Fringe Festival​