Synopsis: Set aboard a stylish 19th-century paddle-wheel steamboat in 1856, Accidents Arranged is an entertaining romantic mystery that revolves around two main characters who both use charm and deception to gain the upper hand with the other. The result is a surprise.
Wealthy businessman Arnold Crump discovers he has been swindled by a beautiful woman wearing a flamboyant, blue-feathered hat. Out for revenge, he hires Bert Newsome, a hitman who specializes in making murders look like accidents, to kill her during the steamboat voyage.
When Bert meets Cora Lee, a lovely woman wearing a blue hat, unexpected sparks fly. Each sets out to manipulate the other through flirting. Cora chokes on a salad crouton at dinner, Bert and must decide whether to let her die or save her. He chooses compassion, and the rescue ignites genuine romance.
Their connection is so profound, they share their backgrounds. Cora explains that she is the daughter of a con-artist mother who trained her in deception and mentions that she borrowed her mother’s hat. Meanwhile, Bert reveals that his chosen profession stems unexpectedly from a string of conveniently timed “accidents.”
As love deepens, loyalties shift, and in a final ironic twist, Cora’s bossy mother dies — not by design, but by accident. Or does she? Bert and Cora see future potential in a business, as well as a personal, relationship.
With snappy dialogue and the clever use of dark humour, Accidents Arranged explores drive, corruption and the non-choreographed dance between luck and purpose. The audience is left to think that the most satisfying partnerships might be arranged by accident.