Manchester Theatre News & Reviews

REVIEW - Murder For Two is fast, relentless and takes your breath away!

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We went to the Octagon Theatre in Bolton to see Murder For Two . Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this brilliant show...

If you are looking for an exquisitely bonkers night of entertainment that will keep you on your toes, charm your socks off, and sprinkle a little bit of skullduggery into the mix for good measure, then look no further than Murder For Two at the Octagon Theatre Bolton, for it is bursting with a plethora of comedy, singing, dancing, piano playing, farce, improv, whodunnit vibes, and the excitable knowledge that just about anything could, and does, happen! There is an infectious energy to the show that propels not only the two actors, but the plotline and the audience engagement throughout. This is no ordinary whodunnit, crime solving play for all 12 or so suspects are played by one performer whilst the other tries to unravel the mystery as detective, spurred on by their joyous ability to accompany themselves in rousing song by playing the piano, switching roles, and breaking the fourth wall to engage with the audience. It is a beautiful tapestry of chaos sewn together by the talented cast of two, Lucy Keirl and Tom Babbage, who expertly bring Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair’s show to life in a masterclass of theatre expertise.

Murder For Two is a loving parody of the sprawling country estate style murder mysteries that have become a staple of our heritage, but this adaptation has been placed in a late 1950’s television BBC broadcasting studio, giving it a fresh new take and welcoming plenty of new opportunities for intrigue. After an incident in the BBC, two actors are faced with the last minute challenge of performing the radio play Murder For Two with little preparation, and so the story begins. Arthur Whitney is the guest of honour but this shall be his last hurrah as the famous writer is shot dead! The police are immediately called but with the detective currently out of town, constable Marcus Moscowicz poses as the detective and takes it upon himself to investigate exactly what has happened, to find the guilty amongst a cacophony of intriguing suspects, and happily allow people to believe he is indeed the detective himself. He finds himself enraptured in a quirky mix of characters, all with a motive and all with opportunity, and as he works his way through his police protocol, it becomes clear that maybe more than one crime has been committed in this rambling house.

As this is set in a broadcasting studio, there is also the small matter of the live broadcast of the play that is due to take place to deal with, and this is interwoven around solving a murder. It opens up the production to some fabulous opportunities and scenes involving foley effects. With a heady mix of characters to interview including Dr. Griff the psychiatrist, a rowdy couple of Arthur’s neighbours, Barette the ballerina, three boys from a boys choir, and Arthurs larger than life wife Dahlia, you’d be forgiven for thinking things couldn’t get any crazier, wilder, or jam packed………….until there is another murder! And that’s the great thing about this show! Nestled inside all the farce, the comedy, the unpredictability, lies a truly brilliant plot that has tantalising twists and turns worthy of any major classic whodunnit, that will keep you guessing throughout, and trying to play detective yourself. Kinosian and Blair have spoken openly about their love of Agatha Christie and The Marx Brothers and how these loves combined to create Murder For Two. These influences can be seen peppered throughout, creating something truly unique, whilst leaving the necessary breathing space for each new production to put their own stamp and twist on it.

This is where director Caroline Leslie has been able to introduce the play into the world of television broadcasting, bringing an entirely new element and take on the show. Watching the foley effects play out is intriguing, interesting and rarely done on stage, bringing a new dynamic. It also forces the plot to play with space in a new way too, rather than the usual sprawling country estate where characters run in and out of adjoining rooms, the studio space has to be encapsulated and utilised to its most devious effects, creating suspense and intrigue in the way we have come to expect from the big house with multiple rooms to disguise alibis. It forces theatrical inventiveness and it is a joy to see how this has been achieved. You can also see the trust between the two actors play out on stage in real time, a natural rapport that relaxes the audience, which in turn feeds the performers, and I suspect pushes them to go that little bit further with each performance, with visible evidence of them trying to make each other laugh. A different time period of the late 1950’s alters things too of course, none more so than the design by Jess Curtis, who has recreated the era in both set and costume, down to the details of the cups and saucers, the telephones, the clothing, hair styles, and furniture.

Lucy Keirl and Tom Babbage give performances that are so layered in multitudes of talent that it is difficult to know where to begin to talk about it! Energy, commitment, comic skills, slapstick, physicality, intuitively synced teamwork, stunning singing, character work, accents, foley artist work, incredible piano playing but also piano comedy performance, audience interaction, improvisation, and I still don’t feel I am doing them justice. Their commitment to this show is undeniable, their love for it ripples throughout the theatre, and their stamina is second to none. They display explicit trust in each other and they bring a warmth and sense of belonging throughout the whole show making you feel safe and cosy. Are they utterly bonkers? Absolutely! But only in the best possible way and the joy they bring is infectious. I have no idea how Lucy Keirl keeps track of what character she is playing at any given time, which accent she should be speaking in, which mannerism and movement she should be performing, for her switches are rapid fire, holding conversations with herself as different characters, often interrupting herself mid-sentence to switch roles! She even plays and sings duets at the piano with herself as two different people! She brings a natural rapport and ease when chatting off the cuff with the audience, whilst also communicating through facial expressions to let us know exactly what she is thinking. Tom Babbage runs around the stage with ease, has plenty of conversations with his friend Lou, who is invisible and we never actually see him, adding a whole new dynamic to his performance. He has to keep track of all the different characters, how he interacts with each one, control the pace of the story, make sure we keep track of who is talking to, all the while developing his own character to drop us clues, whilst doing foley, singing, playing piano, and solving a murder! Again, he is brilliant at interacting with the audience and also using facial expressions to let us know what he is thinking, these asides of a simple raised eyebrow bringing much laughter to the audience. Keirl and Babbage are a dynamic duo, a force to be reckoned with, and despite the show being one of undisputable chaos, they are clearly very relaxed and at home there.

Murder For Two takes your breath away! It is fast, relentless, and whizzes past you faster than Arthur Whitneys deadly bullet! I know from eavesdropping that it took some audience members a minute to settle into the pace and follow what was going on, but it didn’t negate from their enjoyment as they were so swept up in the energy and feel good factor of the show, that they went with the flow and found its rhythm. There are a lot of clever tropes sprinkled throughout the show too, and sometimes they happen so quickly that it is only afterwards you recognise them. There are nods and influences from film noir, musical halls, musicals, Hollywood glamour and nostalgia, rebellious cheeky 1950’s youth, German psychiatry, femme fatal, golden age of radio plays, and even good old fashioned piano parties! The overall effect is a whoosh of theatricality, high impact energy, alerting all our senses and keeping us in a state of total awareness. And the songs are brilliant too! Some real show stoppers and again, a mix of styles, genres, and vibrancy making sure there really is something for everyone. The audience are immediately placed in the heart of the show by informing us we are the live studio audience for the BBC radio play broadcast of Murder For Two, a subtle but clever move that instantly engages us, gives us a small ownership of the performance, and includes us at an active rather than passive level, a gentle yet intuitive move for a show like this. Murder For Two is a whirlwind of a show that will blow your mind! It is brilliantly bonkers, wonderfully wacky, and undeniably unhinged! It is also jam packed with talent, dynamic performances, and a brilliant plotline that will keep you guessing right until the very end! Just hold on to your ice creams, don’t take tea from strangers, and keep a look out for bananas and cocktail umbrellas!

WE SCORE MURDER FOR TWO..