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The audience is welcomed to Murder Village – population: decreasing – by the actors already in character, right off the bat. From the moment you enter, it is clear this is a world fully committed to its premise.
In fact, you’re not just watching the mystery unfold, you’re invited to take part in it. Literally.
Moments before the show started, we werre asked to scan a QR code. The code led us to a survey that allowed us to cast votes on which character we believe gets murdered and the perpetrator. We even had input on the murder weapon and a clue.
The engaging mystery that unfolded with the night’s motley crew of characters was magnificent in all its silly, witty improv glory.
And speaking of the characters, they were as delightfully odd as the village itself.
There was Marcie Tussock (Louisa Fitzhardinge), the overeager youth with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm for digging up graves; Old Gus Ferguson (Shane Adamczak) the misunderstood cemetery custodian who may have been slow to move but super quick with his comebacks; Bain Marie (played by the deliciously animated Amy Moule) the French swimming teacher who swam across the “channel” as it was the quickest way to get a visa; and Christian Boy, a very grown altar boy (man?) portrayed by Jason Geary.
What was most amusing to me was the back and forth between the actors.
They were seemingly trying to stitch each other up – by insisting they “tell me about it… in great detail”. It was in those hilarious moments when they succeeded in getting each other to break character that MADE the show for me.
A special mention goes to the keyboardist, Jaron Why. He kept up the mood effortlessly, underscoring the action with tunes that heightened both the mystery and the comedy.
So if you like your comedy with a side of murder, your repartee clever and your storytelling criminally good, let these guys tell you about it… in GREAT detail.