Nothing excites me more than discovering a brand-new musical that’s completely original and damn near perfection – and that’s exactly what Kathy and Stella Solve A Murder! is.
Performed in the round, Kathy and Stella are true crime podcasters, a genre which has become hugely popular in recent years. The two women are from Hull and are best friends, but the complete opposites of each other which is evident in their costumes. Stella (Rebekah Hinds) is dressed in a Nirvana shirt, leather jacket and docs which gives off an edgier look, compared to Kathy (Bronté Barbé) who is dressed like a hippie with floral trousers.
The cast bursts onstage with lights held in front of their faces as they sing an intro song to the podcast, which sets the scene. We’re soon introduced to Felicia Taylor (Jodie Jacobs), the bestselling true crime author, that Kathy and Stella idolise, who is subsequently murdered. The two podcasters then decide to investigate the crime.
The musical numbers are catchy, upbeat and polished. They all contain humorous lyrics by Matthew Floyd Jones and each member of the cast displays strong vocals throughout the performance – particularly Hinds. I did find that the keyboard was slightly too loud at times, but this is due to the shape of the venue, meaning the musician needs to be in the performance space. However, this minor criticism, is the only one I can make about this otherwise faultless production.
The cast give high energy performances, three of them take on multiple roles throughout the show and manage to make these distinguishable. Jacobs even makes a gag that you never know who she’s going to be next. But nonetheless, she manages to make each of her characters individual and there’s never any confusion over who’s who.
Hinds is hilarious in her deadpan delivery of this brilliant script by Jon Brittain. Imelda Warren-Green proves an excellent comedic actress in her role as Erica, displaying soulful vocals throughout. This show is raucously funny, with tender moments between the two best friends as well.
Kathy and Stella Solve A Murder! is exactly why we should be investing in new musicals, there is so much about this show that excites me. The show combines two guilty pleasures of musicals and true crime. And this show needs a London transfer and fully staged production immediately. This is one of the best shows I’ve seen at the fringe, and also this year. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much, and simultaneously been blown away by the talent on stage. This is one of the most polished new musicals at the Fringe this year, and I can’t wait for where the show goes next. They killed it (sorry, I know that was bad).
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical New Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Review Revival Richmond Theatre Round Up Royal Court Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End
- A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
The infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays Scrooge. Before the show, half a bottle of Jim Beam, some wine, and beer have been consumed in the previous 4 hours. The rest of the cast, try to keep the show on track, also aided by James Murfitt as the compere, Charles Dickens. The … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE - A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, containing stacks of metal cabinets towering over the theatre, moveable by the cast to allow space for other central props like doors, beds and tables. In addition to this, the puppetry design by Matthew Forbes is incredibly clever, adding creepy elements to the show such … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE - A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503 - PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE - GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and daughter’s … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
- A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUAREThe infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
- A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACESpine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
- A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
- PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATREPeter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
- GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSEDrawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
2 thoughts on “REVIEW – KATHY AND STELLA SOLVE A MURDER! – EDINBURGH FRINGE”