FeaturedLondonMusicalReview

Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder! – Ambassadors Theatre, London

Reviewer: Thom Punton

Book and Lyrics by: Jon Brittain

Music and lyrics by: Matthew Floyd Jones

Directed by: Jon Brittain and Fabian Aloise

For many, the podcast has become a daily companion, but as a cultural phenomenon, it tends to stay in its own bubble. Seemingly resistant to the conspicuous virality of social media, the best podcasts grow by word of mouth (literally) and fans develop strong personal connections with the people chatting for hours on end in their ears. Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder! is a sparkling musical that combines the parasocial relationships of podcast culture with a gripping murder mystery to stunning, hilarious effect.

Kathy and Stella, friends since school, host a macabre true crime podcast in which they cheerfully chat about the true stories of the grisliest murders they can find. However, when they become the last known people to see a murder victim they become embroiled in a real-life murder case. Being part of a real-life murder investigation is a dream come true and they immediately set about trying to find the culprit, much to the despair of the detective on the case, DC Sue Shaw (Eliotte Williams-N’Dure).

There’s a delightfully dark comedic tone from the start with both girls relishing the gruesome details of the murders. The action is driven by a head-on gallows humour that uses death as a punchline without it ever feeling too close to the bone. Perhaps the most compelling theme however is the friendship between the two oddball main characters. Kathy (Bronté Barbé) is the more anxious of the two. With her baggy, hippy-lite fashion sense, she looks like she has just got back from Glastonbury 1994. Stella (Rebekah Hinds) is equally stuck in that era with her Nirvana t-shirt and leather jacket. Brash and confident, she is set on leading them into trouble.

They are a yin and yang pair of geeky girls, out of touch with the latest fashions but completely on the same page with each other, united by their hatred of everyone else and their love of murder. We see their friendship develop through pitch-perfect flashbacks of them at school in the early 2000s as they connect over books about serial killers. Allusions to the difficult times they help each other through are moving, helping to portray a richly detailed, complex friendship.

The songs, written by Matthew Floyd Jones and Jon Brittain, are excellent, taking us through a range of emotions and styles, from exuberant Bugsy Malone-like swing to soft, Disneyfied ballads to Meatloafesque 80s power ballads. Certain snatches are reprised later on in new contexts, cementing the catchy melodies and the characters’ narrative arcs.

Barbé and Hinds provide most of the singing, incorporating segments from their podcast such as their sign-off catchphrase “See You Next Murder”. The pair are supremely talented performers in absolutely every way. Their singing is expressive and powerful, their stage presences complement each other, and their comedic timing is masterful. There are so many parts that are uproariously funny: their exaggerated Hull accents that wring the humour out of every broadened vowel; the spinning office chair choreography as they wheel around Kathy’s parents’ garage (which doubles as their recording studio); Stella’s endearing obnoxiousness versus Kathy’s nervy diligence. They are the epitome of hapless enthusiasts. They are cringe but, my god, are they free. It’s impossible not to like them.

The whole cast is stellar, in fact. The celebrity true crime writer, Felicia Taylor, (played by Hannah-Jane Fox) is a haughty Cruella-like diva, as charismatic as she is ruthless. Morgue technicians, Justin Norris (Elliot Broadfoot) and Erica Knott (Imelda Warren-Green) are loopy superfans of the pod, eager to help their heroes. Warren-Green in particular is a revelation. Her unhinged delivery is show-stopping, as is her vocal range.

In a West End landscape overfilled with money-spinning movie adaptation musicals, Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder! is refreshingly original. The world of true crime podcasts and the obsessives who take it too far is perfect material for dark comedy. For a podcast listener, there are many satisfying references, which makes it feel exciting and current. For non-podcast listeners, it’s an introduction to a riotous brave new world. On top of all this, there’s a twisty, expertly conceived murder mystery (which they solve, of course). This show is an absolute smash-hit and deserves to be nominated for all the awards.

Runs until 14 September 2024

The Reviews Hub Score

Kill for a ticket

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The Reviews Hub - London

The Reviews Hub London is under the editorship of Richard Maguire. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

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