Writer: Meade Conway
Director: Calum Shiels
Even by dastardly landlord standards, Archie (John Gregor) is a piece of work. The flat he rents out is on the cusp of being condemned – windows held in place with gaffer tape, ancient wallpaper peeling off the walls, curtains replacing doors, and an electric system that shocks the inhabitants more than it powers the lights.
He acquired the property from an old lady under less than fair circumstances. Her grandson, Joq (Elijah Khan), is now a tenant and dreams of earning enough money to buy back his grandmother’s home. He shares the flat with the equally aspirational (though some may say delusional) Harriet (Frankie Wetherby), a would-be social media influencer and online yoga trainer to the city’s yummy-mummies, and miserable corporate slave Burke (Robbie Fletcher-Hill).
Thrown together through circumstance, they have become friends and are, surprisingly, happy in their slum home. That is, until Archie decides to evict them with one week’s notice. A combination of imminent homelessness, potential separation, and a mutual hatred of Archie, pushes them to come up with the only solution that will solve their problems… Kill Archie!
The problem is, they’re not exactly the smartest tools in the proverbial shed, and what unfolds is the farcical attempts the trio take to rid them of their nemesis.
How to Kill Your Landlord is a humorous look at how not to knock someone off. It’s enthusiastically performed across the board, though Robbie Fletcher-Hill anchors the piece amongst the wider cast’s slightly over-egged portrayals. The script is funny, with some wonderful jokes and observations, but it meanders a bit in the middle section. The direction is effective but could do with tightening up to improve the narrative flow and overall pace, which, hopefully, will get ironed out as the production transfers to Edinburgh and is performed a few more times.
Overall, there’s a lot to enjoy here and some minor tweaks here and there will take this from an entertaining piece to a rip-roaringly funny one.
Reviewed on 21 July 2025 and now playing at Bedlam Theatre at Edinburgh Fringe until 25 August
