Ever sat at four in the afternoon on a weekday, eating cereal, watching one of the many episodes of Murder She Wrote that play constantly, all day, one after another? Of course you have, we’ve all been unemployed at least once. A better question, is have you ever wished this intimate experience could be converted into a game, to be played publicly with half a lecture hall full of strangers?
I certainly hadn’t but, Jessica Fletcher superfan such as I am, I did enjoy the experience watching Solve Along A Murder She Wrote. However, considering the show is free to watch at any hour at home, I think if you are expecting an audience to pay our ticket price of fifteen whole pounds, more needs be added to sweeten the deal.
Australian performer Tim Benzie puts on our show, which involves holding up pictures of Dame Angela on a blue lolly stick(the blue will come off and stain your hands by the way) to wave as the characters on stage earn your suspicion. Essentially, we’re all collectively voting on who we think is the killer, having, before the episode begins, collectively decided which guest star we think was the most famous in 1985.
This first portion of the show is lost on me, having been born well after said date. I don’t recognise anyone, nor do I rejoice ranking these unfamiliar faces. Thankfully, the episode does eventually get put on and we get to the good bit. It’s a fun show if you like murder mysteries and I do enjoy playing along with it. I just don’t know if I enjoyed it fifteen quid’s worth more than my usual afternoon viewing. I don’t need the breakdown of MSW tropes, I know them by heart already. Ironically, those who might take the most from attending are those who actually aren’t casual viewers. Tim’s costume changes and in-jokes will be all the more beguiling for someone experiencing the show for the first time. I just wish I could say the same.
Solve Along A Murder She Wrote, theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 20:15, until August 24.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/solve-along-a-murder-she-wrote
