Murder at the Fringe – Hill Street Theatre

Following up on their first instalment at this year’s Fringe (The Court), Edinburgh Little Theatre brings us another audience-forward crime puzzler.  After introducing the murder case, we were given the evidence, suspects, and their testimonies.  Having seen the cast perform in The Court it was wonderful to see the dynamic range of every actor – each person’s character was on the completely opposite side of the spectrum compared to their last – even if you had not seen The Court, the conviction of each actor is undeniable.  I was particularly impressed by the “floozy” mistress, the bumbling butler, and the seedy financial advisor – all round authenticity.

Delivering their alibis in a verbatim-esque style, the audience jotted down notes as each suspect spoke, then later were given the chance to do some serious sleuthing and interrogate each character – picking apart the incongruencies in their statements.  It was great fun trying to rack your brain as each person spoke, every detail of the story peaked my attention, from inconsistencies in the victim’s breakfast order, to the case of the mysterious “Easy Lady”.

Perhaps I do not have the mind needed for a detective, but when the murderer was revealed, I was shocked!  Now this may be just me, but I think the writer has slightly overestimated how clever the general public is.  The clues that would lead us to our conclusion were so subtle that I’m not sure anyone picked up on them – details that seemed important to the case but had no relevance at all.  Nonetheless, it was great fun – get your thinking caps on and get down to the Hill Street Theatre for some light afternoon fun.

Reviewer: Jessie Martin

Reviewed 16th August 2024

North West End UK Rating: