Review by Lauren Donikian
2 performers, thirteen characters, a piano and a mystery to solve. Murder For Two is a 90-minute whodunnit musical which centres around Officer Marcus Moscowicz as he tries to solve the murder of Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney who is murdered at his own surprise birthday party.
Set and Costume Designer, Keerthi Subramanyam has created a beautiful setting for this performance to take part in. With wooden panels, ceiling high bookshelves filled with books of all colours, a bay window with a window seat and a Happy Birthday bunting hanging across it. Emerald curtains hang either side, there are balloons tied in three places around the room, an emerald chaise lounge is placed at the front of the stage and a piano is in prime position centre stage. Everything seems to have a purpose and it is clear that Director, Richard Carroll and Subramanyam worked closely to design this wonderland for the performers to play in. Lighting Designer, Priyanka Martin uses regular lighting through the performance but introduces red lighting when characters are reminiscing or retelling a story, and a blue spotlight for solo/ want songs. The musical continues to surprise you and it is clear that this group of creatives have found ways for that to be portrayed in the set also.
Gabbi Bolt stars as Officer Moscowicz, an honest and grounded character which is in stark contrast to Maverick Newman’s many flamboyant characters. Bolt is a joy to watch and really shows off her musical prowess and comedic timing. Whether playing the piano or acting Bolt is in her element and felt truly at home when she sang ‘Friend like you’. Newman plays ten characters throughout the course of this performance and all I could think was how does he do it? He morphs from one character to the next using his body, voice, and facial expressions. It is a skill that most would find impossible, but Newman makes it look easy. He moves so freely across the stage and brings such joy to each character. Whether he is playing a male or female role the level of devotion to stay true to the character is the same. I can imagine Carroll, Newman and Dialect Coach, Linda Nicholls-Gidley had a wonderful time figuring out how these characters moved and sounded to make them so diverse. Newman is an incredible comedic actor who throws himself into the role without fear and it shows.
The beauty of this performance was the clear bond that these two actors have formed. I can honestly say that watching them play the piano together was thrilling and I had a big goofy smile on my face. They are two very talented artists that respect each other very much. Their union and ease together were palpable from the start.
Murder For Two is a very clever, funny and quick-witted play that will keep you guessing until the very end. The songs help the audience understand it’s many characters. With some big personalities and some not so big, everyone has an equal opportunity to shine and look guilty. I left wondering how it would work if there were a full cast of people but decided it doesn’t need it. Everything about this show is quality over quantity, and I was just honoured to be able to witness it. I thoroughly enjoyed myself watching this performance and if you like comedy and murder mysteries I know you will too!
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