Photo: Pamela Raith Photography
The true crime genre of entertainment has had a strange rise to prominence in recent years and has a grip on people interested in mystery and criminal events. There are many ways to consume true crime content and many people love true crime podcasts, this show is a culmination of these things: a fictional true crime podcast hosted by Kathy and Stella. Following two seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe and a UK tour, the show is premiering in the West End.
Kathy and Stella are two late twenty somethings who have been friends for most of their lives. They have both been othered for their obsession with death and fascination with true crime cases. They host a true crime podcast and inadvertently become involved in the murder case of one of their favourite true crime authors. We have a murder mystery to solve but we also explore a platonic love story between friends and how the spotlight can impact their friendship and the investigation.
The book (and lyrics) by Jon Brittain feels extremely grounded in modern British culture and general pop culture. The humour of this show caters to a British audience in particular, however depending on age some of the humour may go over the head of audience members on the younger and older end of the age spectrum.
The pacing of the second act is better than the first, but both parts of the show keep the audience engaged and in peals of laughter. The vision of the creators Jon Brittain and Matthew Floyd Jones who wrote the music and lyrics shines through in this show and acts as a throughline. That true crime and the communities associated with it can be places of empathy and understanding for those who partake. Despite delving into the impact both positive and negative, that true crime and the parasocial relationships associated with it can have on different people.
Bronté Barbé does a fantastic job as Kathy an anxious volunteer librarian who struggles with her identity and finding her own path. Rebekah Hinds gives life to Stella, a people pleaser in between jobs who craves positive attention and validation from the world, despite portraying herself as bold and confident. The accent work and vocals from both performers was extremely well done.
The ensemble of this show is excellent, they make the musical numbers feel full of life despite the small numbers in the ensemble- with only five ensemble cast members. Each of the ensemble also play individual roles within the show. I appreciate that they each have a song. With a particular varied performance from Imelda Warren-Green who had some amazing vocal moments.
The score leans towards the pop-rock genre, and although it was enjoyable throughout, a lot of the songs sounded quite similar. The most distinctive song was the opening song “Kathy and Stella’s murder podcast” which is quite an earworm. The sound design at times made it difficult to understand the lyrics to songs, particularly songs involving Hannah-Jane Fox, which makes her parts of the storyline hard to follow.
There was a particularly moving song from Eliotte Williams-N’duré who plays a detective investigating the case. Her song highlights the many problems associated with investigating crimes and disillusionment with working cases within the police force. It explored how crime impacts regular people and therefore should not be sensationalised into a story with a perfect ending which almost never occurs. The change in perspective and tone was needed in a story so nonchalant about such gruesome things.
The last moments of the show moved quite quickly. There was a quick wrap up of the plot and some random strings of the plot introduced in act two were barely resolved. However, the murder mystery aspect of this show had a satisfying conclusion.
Anyone could enjoy this show, its full of laugh out loud moments from start to finish. True crime fans or not, there is so much fun to be had.
Tickets for this show are available until September 14th: https://www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk/shows/kathy-and-stella-solve-a-murder
Reviewer: Zara Odetunde
Reviewed: 12th June 2024
North West End UK Rating:
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