Murder she didnt write Review

Murder, She Didn’t Write, an improvised murder mystery comedy that made waves at the Edinburgh Fringe, continues to showcase inventive, real-time storytelling in the West End at the Duchess Theatre. We were invited to attend the show on the 21st of July, and experienced first-hand how this chaotic whodunnit puts the audience at the heart of the mystery.

Narrated and guided by the sharp-witted Agatha Crustie (Lizzy Skrzypiec), the audience is invited to offer suggestions for both the murder’s setting and a vital clue that will shape the show. One audience member is randomly selected (via a hat toss) to become Jerkins, the detective’s sidekick. Jerkins holds great power. While anyone can suggest ideas, they get the final say on which elements make it into the story. The rest of the cast that night featured a comedic and talented bunch: Rachael Procter-Lance, Peter Baker, Stephen Clements, Sylvia Bishop, and Emily Brady.

Unfortunately, the first act felt a little flat. This wasn’t the fault of the performers, who are undeniably quick, clever, and committed, but rather down to the chosen premise. On this night, audience-suggested settings included a Coldplay concert, an intergalactic space date, and British historians stealing the pyramids. The winning choice, the space date, made the first act feel a bit disconnected and harder to latch onto. Several audience members agreed, suggesting the Coldplay concert might have landed better, especially given its relevance to current affairs (pun intended). The actors must have thought so too, as they worked in multiple references to the Coldplay Kiss Cam Affair anyway.

Clue suggestions included a teaspoon, a kitty cat, and a hadron collider. If you’re not sure what that is, don’t worry, neither were we. That was the clue Jerkins ultimately selected, which only added to the confusion. In this version of events, it was enthusiastically described as “a machine that collides furniture,” and apparently it was the perfect weapon for killing a horse-alien. Sure, why not? Jerkins also gets to choose the murderer and the victim, adding yet another layer of audience-driven chaos.

The second act picked up considerably. It felt more grounded in the murder mystery genre and less caught up in the out-of-this-world alien storyline. And as a huge sci-fi fan and space enthusiast, that’s saying a lot. Watching each character reveal their motives within the context of the developing narrative, and seeing Agatha Crustie piece the story together based on everything that had occurred, was a real joy.

While the storyline didn’t quite land this time, the concept remains intriguing. I’ve had friends rave about the show, and even though I didn’t love the narrative on this particular night, I’m still keen to return. As Agatha Crustie says at the end, “If you loved it, come back, it’s different every time,” and, “If you didn’t like it, come back, it’s different every time.” I definitely will. I’m hopeful the next storyline will be more redeeming.

If you didn’t get the chance to catch it, there are more performances coming up at the Duchess Theatre on the 29th of September and the 24th of November, as well as during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at various venues across the UK.

3 stars