Review by Tatum Stafford
Set in the familiar world of a 1950s Agatha Christie novel, the ‘Murder Village’ gang are back for another Fringe season, and after missing their successful run last year, I was excited to head along and see exactly whodunit.
Featuring a cast of improvisers from across the country, the show focuses on four characters (all potential suspects and victims), plus one suave improv pianist, a detective, and the sweet old lady from next door, who just so happens to be an extremely talented amateur crime solver.
The show begins outside of the tent, when audience members were invited to scan QR codes and vote on a number of occurrences that would unfold during the 60-minute improvised show. These included; who would be the victim, who would be the murderer, what the murder weapon would be, and what would be the ‘dead’ giveaway that the murder had taken place. A clever format, and a good way to encourage strong audience buy-in from the get-go.
The cast are clearly all very committed and engaging performers. On the night I attended, the clear stand-out was Jason Geary, who offered a ridiculously over-the-top character who was obsessed with all things supernatural, with a penchant for ghosts and ouija boards. He had the audience in hysterics, and managed to crack fellow actors numerous times which only made us all laugh harder.
The show’s detective and neighbour, played with flair by duo David Massingham and Amberly Cull, offered a healthy dose of exposition and explanation, and were very charming introducing flashbacks and shaping the arc. Amanda Buckley, Louisa Fitzhardinge, and Esther Longhurst all gave comedic and energetic performances in their respective roles.
The show was wrapped up slightly haphazardly (presumably due to the clock, as it was quite a crammed tent with a late start time), and there were a few tech issues with mics on the night I attended, which did slightly hamper the experience - nothing that couldn’t be tightened up with a few more shows under their belts, I’m sure.
This is a really fun tribute to the whodunit genre, and is sure to strike a chord with improv fans for all the right reasons. I’d recommend heading along and throwing the cast a challenging prompt in the pre-show QR code form - I’m sure they can capably handle anything you throw at them (and if they can’t, I bet it’ll be a hilarious night out either way).
