Burke ‘n’ Hare: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Burke ‘n’ Hare: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor was reviewed at LAB at PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

This year’s Fringe brought a brand-new, humorous historical musical from festival favourites Old ‘n’ Dead Productions. This time the famous figures under scrutiny are the city’s notorious “body snatchers” Burke and Hare.

Set in the heart of Reekin’ Auld 1800s Edinburgh, Burke ‘n’ Hare: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor tells the tale of two ‘entrepreneurs’ who stumble upon a lucrative new enterprise – murder! With a taste for money and a winning method, the deadly duo set about on a serial-killing spree.

Local writer, performer and director Beth Eltringham, known for her in-depth historical knowledge and ingenious parody lyrics, brings the story to life with a clever script packed with fascinating facts and gruesome gags

Despite the rock metal title, the songs parodied are primarily hits from musicals. Though Drowning Pool’s classic does appear, to well-timed comic effect, regrettably the sequence is only used once. A few more rounds could have made the titular track a bloody motif, giving extra punch to the killings and tying the show together.

What this piece really needs is more space. While the set is minimal (only a dissection table) the layout prevents parts of the action from being fully appreciated, most notably the shadow puppet section which can only be seen by a handful of people in the front row.

The cast is strong. The leads bounce off each other brilliantly. As exuberant as he is immoral, Hare (Andrew Lodge) fills the stage with presence and violent charm. While the treacherous and idiotic Burke (Steven Shayegh) is hilarious and almost sweet enough that you want him to get away with murder.

Equally endearing and funny is his not-wife Helen (multi-role actor Rosamund Vickers) who provides a sprinkling of sanity to the grisly business. The final villain is Dr Knox (Damien Smith). With fabulous flair and on point physical comedy, Smith infuses the role with a relish that will make you squirm.

Audience interaction is a breeze for this experienced team. A well-orchestrated, suitably silly singalong, complete with memorable actions, ensures you know how to bump someone off efficiently should the opportunity arise.

Fun, foul and factually accurate, Burke ‘n’ Hare: Let the Bodies Hit the Floor is surefire entertainment.

Molly Glenn