Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder continues at Roundabout @ Summerhall, Edinburgh until 28 August 2022.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I was promised that I would laugh – and that’s a safe promise in this runaway hit show. A packed audience laughed practically the whole way through.
Playing Kathy and Stella are the best of friends, Bronté Barbé and Rebekah Hinds, a podcast duo obsessed with murder and with chemistry to die for. Never missing a beat nor an opportunity for a laugh, these two proud Hull women have to be seen by anyone looking for a perfect double act. They seem as different as chalk and cheese, but this vamp and geek easily capture their audience straight from their opening number boasting extreme “office chair choreography”.
The other three members of the cast bring a massive catalogue of characters to the stage. All have superb singing voices, comic timing and, of course, spot-on Yorkshire accents. Jodie Jacobs revels in the role of Felicia Taylor, a famous crime writer, idolised by Kathy and Stella, especially for her book, ‘Heads Will Roll’ – a deep study of decapitation.
TJ Lloyd is perfect as the geeky Justin and his character’s job in the morgue places him perfectly in the plot, inspiring Kathy to dream of working in the same setting, even if it does mean moving to the other side of The Pennines for university.
Lastly, and by no means least, Imelda Warren-Green as Erica is so wide-eyed and starstruck to meet Kathy and Stella that she wins the audience over completely.
These three actors become several other characters. There are no fussy details to keep track of in the character changes – the simplest small detail and change in body ‘register’ is more than enough.
The style, speed and overall playfulness is irresistible.
With a book by Jon Brittain who among others also wrote A Super Happy Story About Feeling Super Sad (winner of our Best Musical Award) and music and lyrics by Matthew Floyd Jones, known as one half of comedy duo Frisky & Mannish (also the composer and lyricist for A Super Happy Story About Feeling Super Sad) on paper, this has to be one of the most talented creative teams in Edinburgh. Brittain also directs with such clarity and understanding that it’s no wonder this is a hot ticket.
It MUST have a future – a killer of a show!
Fiona Orr
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