Collins’ true crime tale headed to Toronto stage

Murder at Mosquito Cove by Bay Roberts author Patrick Collins will hit the stage in Toronto in April. The true crime novel tells the story of the murder of 16-year-old Elfreda Pike, and the investigation that followed it. Judy Ask photo

Collins’ true crime tale headed to Toronto stage

By Mark Squibb

Patrick Collin’s true crime story Murder at Mosquito Cove will hit the stage this spring.
The true crime novel tells of the murder of 16-year-old Elfreda Pike in Mosquito Cove, now Bristol’s Hope, in January 1870, for which there are no lack of suspects.
“This girl was loved by a lot of people,” said Collins. “She was working in Harbour Grace part-time, even though she was still in school, she was helping out with the regatta, she read in church, things like that, so she was well-respected, and it was an outrage when she was killed.”
The crime itself would not be solved for another 50 years.
Collins published the novel in 2013, and said the story has been well-received. The Bay Roberts author said he has since heard from distant relatives of Pike acknowledging the work. He credits St. John’s author Jack Fitzgerald with first identifying Pike’s killer in his true crime publication Ten Steps to the Gallows, published in 1981.
Following the publication of the novel, Collins made a visit to the site where Pike was murdered. A sign now indicates the site as such.
Collins had initially sold the rights to a Canadian movie production company, but plans for a movie fell through, and the rights were sold back to Collins, who decided to rewrite the story as a stage play.
“I felt the story was still compelling enough that people would be interested,” said Collins. “I had some people read it for me, people like Terry Andrews of TaDa! Events and Clar Doyle of Beothuk Theatre and they felt it should be a one-act play, so over the winter I rewrote it as a one act play.”
Collins said the play sat on the shelf for two years before one day, out of the blue, he received a call from Bay Roberts native Liam Dawson, co-founder of Toronto-based theatre company Walnut Productions.
Collins sent Dawson a copy of the play, and within days the two struck a deal.
Interestingly enough, Collins had adjudicated a high school drama festival years earlier in which Dawson had earned the best actor award.
“I’m so grateful for Liam for the work he’s done on this project,” said Collins. “I can’t believe it’s going to be on stage.”
The play will run from April 10th to April 19th at the Alumnae Theatre Company on 70 Berkeley Street, Toronto. Tickets are on sale at eventbrite.ca.