A Simply Beastly Murder – Montgomery Theatre, Sheffield

Writer: Rachel E. Thorn

Director: James Stone

Open Works is a two-week festival at Sheffield’s Montgomery and Playhouse Theatres, highlighting work in progress and rehearsed readings among other things. It’s rather a surprise to find A Simply Beastly Murder on the programme after it has had such a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe, but it’s justified as part of “a festival rooted in this city” as Rachel E. Thorn, actor as well as writer, hails from Sheffield.

It’s easy to understand A Simply Beastly Murder‘s success at the Fringe, with the knowing jokes and clever pastiche adding up to a lot of fun, but in truth it’s a bit slight for an evening’s theatre. The stage furniture amounts to very little, but there is a nice cool jazz sound track reminiscent of film noir. There is also a stylishly done verbal cameo from Alistair McGowan as (mainly) the mafia-style night club owner.

Thorn’s script is really a two-gag affair, with added spice along the way. The first gag is a delight. Of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five Dick (who now wishes to be known as Richard – stand by for “Dick” jokes) has become a private investigator, school of Sam Spade, and calls on the assistance of Anne, unchanged from Blyton days. The contrast between hard-boiled Richard and innocent, days-of-Empire Anne is a delight.

The second gag is more straightforward, a neat pastiche of film noir with added, surprisingly successful input from Anne’s English rose. The fact that the cast is a mere two opens up all kinds of possibilities for humour.

Alistair Mackay is as far from Kirrin Island as you could imagine, a laconic, side-of-the-mouth private investigator seemingly unmoved by the blood all over his trench-coat as he recounts the sad murder of his on-off girl friend in a dressing room of a seedy night-club in authentic Spillane-ese. Rachel E. Thorn comes up bright as a button as Anne and – would you believe it? – proves a skilful investigator.

The end – which we were sworn to silence about – is as appealing as you could wish and the whole thing passes a very pleasant hour.

Open Works Festival runs until 10 October 2026.