Entertaining Murder By Chris Burgess Upstairs At The Gatehouse until 10 May
‘Plenty to enjoy’ ★★★
Entertaining Murder, a veritable labour of love from Chris Burgess who has grown up with the story and clearly knows his subject, is really not as it claims ‘a murder mystery’. Based on the 1920s ‘Ilford Murders’ as they were called, we see unhappy-at-home Edith Thompson and her younger sea-faring lover Freddie Bywaters ‘plot’ to murder Daisy’s traditional dullard of a husband, Percy Thompson. This happens at the top of the show and we go back in time to see the how and why - but there is no mystery. What we do get here is a really interesting snapshot of society and how society views sexual transgression - all played out in song.
So, Edith is glamorous and charming and yearning whilst Percy is just a bore and a bit of a bully. When (very) able seaman Freddie Bywaters comes into their lives - initially via Edith’s more unassuming sister Avis - it’s clear there is a spark which will light a bloody big flame. When the wholly un-sympathetic Percy is stabbed to death it’s pretty clear quick quickly what has played out and what will happen to both Edith and Freddie. Whilst the road to getting there is overly long and a bit confused tonally, there is plenty to enjoy.
Burgess uses the well worn path of a narrator figure looking back at events and to hold everything together for the audience. Here it is the all-grown-up Avis who, some 50 years later, is campaigning to get her sister pardoned and this device works well - not least as Avis is played by Sue Kelvin a fantastically experienced stage actress who does everything really nicely.
There are - remarkably - 30 songs. Many of these are wholly unremarkable and the show would have undoubtedly worked better as a single act 90 minute piece. On the delightfully small Gatehouse stage we see apt and helpful work from Richard Lambert’s lighting and Aaron Clingham tinkles away on the keyboard to mostly notable sonic effect. The singing is good, especially when as an ensemble and as the battling-against-trad-Edwardian-society Edith, Daisy Snelson has great potential and holds the audience. There’s also really good work from both Dora Gee as the young Avis and especially Alex Cosgriff as, initially, Percy but in a multitude of distinct roles.
The show also falls down a little as it’s not quite sure whether to be wholly serious or a bit fun. The second half is a little more flighty but a couple of songs left many on press night open mouthed as they were so flippant and throwaway despite covering murder and hanging. There are some echoes of both Les Mis and particularly Sweeney Todd, and some judicious cuts and a tweak of tone down the latter road would aid a show that was always engaging and punches above its weight.
