Writer: Peter Rae
Director: Helen Bang
Much like that old commercial that claims ‘it does what it says on the tin’, An Absolute Farce of a Murder Mystery lays out its wares on the poster and sticks to its guns. If you’re looking to activate your tiny grey cells (thank-you Hercule Poirot) with a puzzling mystery, or be tickled pink by deft drolleries, move along. This is not for you.
An Absolute Farce is just that. Within moments of starting, the audience is greeted with one of the most painfully ear-piercing, over- the top entrances any theatre has staged, as Lady Honoria (Rosalind Blessed) discovers that Sir Cecil has been murdered. Decapitated, to be precise. Instantly, you know that this is not a production for the faint- of-heart of lover of subtlety.
Set in Garbadal Manor, at an undefined time that feels a lot like the 1940’s, all is not as it seems. A dinner party is set to take place when a murder occurs. Sir Cecil is decapitated and, defying logic, dinner guest family lawyer Lord Hardcastle (Peter Rae, who also wrote the play), decides to investigate. A bizarre collection of characters including a medium, a drunk, the tyrannical host, and a ghost turn a simple investigation into a chaotic melee that uncovers prejudices, family secrets, abandoned children, unrequited love, and more.
Rae, in his playwright guise, has plundered everyone from the Brontës to Christie. He’s taken the tropes from classic mystery and familial novels and turned them on their head. It’s very knowingly written and, despite breaking character and the fourth wall, seems to be continually winking at the audience in acknowledgement as another borrowed theme is given the farcical treatment.
The comedic delivery runs the gamut from ludicrous to deadpan. At its worst it’s noisy and juvenile but at its best it’s an enthusiastic barrage of wordplay and exuberant posturing. Helen Bang’s direction is energetic, though at times could slow down to give some of the comedic wordplay space to properly land.
Much of comedy’s success is in the delivery and thankfully, no matter how juvenile or foolish the ask, the cast give it their all. The story is, expectedly nonsense, but provides a decent platform on which the comedy stands. The first act feels a bit laden as if it’s trying a too hard. The jokes are a bit on the nose, the innuendo feels forced and the performances overly exaggerated. However, and maybe it’s just the audience finally settling into the rhythms of the piece, by the second act, everything seems to fit nicely into place. The performances feel more nuanced and balanced and the humour seems sharper. The ending could be five minutes shorter and there’s a highly misjudged Shakespearean-inspired soliloquy that seems to stop everything in its tracks. Whilst well performed, it completely sucks the joy out of the room.
There’s much to enjoy in An Absolute Farce of a Murder Mystery. It is a well performed and mostly enjoyable farce. Some script editing and more balanced performances, however, could make this a real knockout hit. That said, if the title appeals to you, then certainly go see it, as overall, it won’t disappoint.
Runs until 11 March 2023
