Writer: Michael Spencer
Director: Lexi Ward
Riding the wave of the BBC’s The Traitors, Highly Suspect deliver their own interactive spin with The Betray-tors – a murder mystery finale episode where the winner’s announcement is derailed when it is found that one of the final contestants has been gruesomely dispatched. Suddenly, it’s not just a case of who’s walking away with the prize money – it’s down to us, the audience, to unmask the killer in their midst.
The company hail from Cumbria and are, it seems, well versed in the art of the one-hour whodunnit. With two shows running at this year’s Fringe, they’re no strangers to presenting and then solving murders in sixty minutes. Director (or “Murderess in Chief”) Lexi Ward and writer-performer Michael Spencer (“Murderer in Chief”) prove themselves a sharp, experienced team who have honed the format into a slick, confident piece of interactive theatre.
This is immersive fun at its most playful. Each group of audience members is armed with an information pack and set to work in teams (most sticking with their own friends, so no enforced mingling). Together, they crack codes, sift through clues, and debate motives in pursuit of the culprit. The structure is cleverly pitched – a balance of puzzle-solving, deduction and comedy that keeps up the engagement without ever feeling pressured.
The four-strong cast break up the audience detective work with character-driven speeches and revelations, feeding us essential information littered with one-liners and punchlines that had audiences groaning and cackling with laughter in equal measure. Any of them could believably be guilty, which keeps the guessing game taut right to the end.
Even during team discussions, the performers circulate, prompting, nudging and riffing with the audience. It’s a deft balance of improvisation and control that makes the experience feel fresh and alive.
The final reveal is both satisfying and surprising. Teams are invited to share their theories before the killer confesses, with the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation. Importantly, audience involvement is always offered up, no-one is picked on so you can be as vocal or as quiet as you like, and still enjoy the ride.
Funny, inclusive and full of twists, The Betray-tors is more than just a parody of a TV hit – it’s a cracking piece of interactive theatre in its own right. Highly Suspect have created something sharp, fast-paced and seriously entertaining. A brain-teasing highlight of the Fringe that will leave you laughing as much as thinking – it just needed to be 10 minutes longer to give more teams a chance to suss out the motive and method!
Runs until 23rd August 2025
