Writer: Torben Betts
Director: Philip Franks
Something sinister is occurring at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley. The cold weather outside is nothing compared to this chilling murder mystery.
This production starts with the aftermath of the various murders found within this play. Director Philip Franks wastes no time framing the events to come, foreshadowing multiple deaths through various means to occur over the course of the evening. Then the clocks turn back to a quieter and less bloody time. Officially, all of the events in this story fall on New Year’s Eve, where Jonny “The Cyclops”, played by Jason Durr, unexpectedly hosts various guests to ring in the new year.
The comedy, at the beginning of the play, is light-hearted and slapstick. Though there are various story lines occurring simultaneously, the actors do a good job at making light of the various serious issues and character arcs being introduced. The pace is fast, yet easy to follow. This is aided by the set design. The stage is split into four parts, each representing a different room. This allows multiple actors to be in various places and to move the story along, while creating interesting parallels between the many plots. This works well to highlight themes important to this production. A prime example is when Trainwreck (Peter Moreton), in the office, discusses how lonely and empty his life is to his boss and close friend Johnny. This sentiment is directly echoed by Johnny’s girlfriend Lisa (played by understudy Iryna Poplavska), who attempts to have an affair with Paul (Max Bowden) first downstairs before they move to the bedroom. This balance neatly brings all the characters together, even when most do not meet until the crux of the first act.
The pacing and split space, while a strength in the first act, fall apart in the second half. Once most of the cast are finally brought together in one place, the different rooms are rarely used, and when they are, the pacing is affected. Following what characters are doing when reacting to various situations is hard when another actor is doing something completely different in another room. This is meant to add to the chaotic energy that grows throughout the second act, but is distracting. In addition, the second act gets a lot darker, and the jokes mirror this well. Yet, towards the end, the characters feel like caricatures due to the slowing pace and the focus on the chaotic and dark humorous moments that do not always land well and seem to be never-ending.
The cast does an excellent job transforming into their characters to create fun and, at times, delightful performances. The standout is Max Bowden’s performance of the gormless, yet somehow lovable cop who needs to gain information from Lisa, yet is blinded by lust and a bit of love. Tasked with finding out one of the key mystery elements of this production, Bowden perfectly times his jokes and mannerisms to create an iconic character who wants to prove himself.
This murder mystery wrapped in comedy makes for an interesting production that is perfect for fans of dark humour.
Runs until 29 November 2025, then continues to tour
