Streaming on-demand 3 – 30 May – book via www.akillerparty.co.uk
5*****
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
A Killer Party is a hilarious treat full of wonderfully OTT comic performances and fantastic musical numbers. All the familiar ingredients of the classic murder mystery are thrown into the ridiculous plot, and when the killer is revealed, all the throwaway lines and images that should have led you to the truth are explained. After success in the US last year, A Killer Party has been gleefully adapted for the UK. Rachel Axler and Kait Kerrigan’s characters are moved to Blackpool, preparing for Varthur McArthur’s (Jason Manford) latest self-penned show “The Circus Steamboat Murder – Death on the High Seas Trapeze”. The awful McArthur invites the cast to a dinner party, but someone doesn’t survive the first course.
Harriet Thorpe’s Detective Justine Case, struggling to write her memoirs, recalls the crime – her first investigation as a detective, and Emma Salvo plays the younger version of Case. The assembled suspects are ex-leading lady Vivika Orsonwelles (Debbie Kurup), leading man George Murderer (Cedric Neal), Varthur’s latest young actress Lily Wright (Amara Okereke), chorus member Cameron Mitchelljohn (Ashley Samuels), stage manager Clarke Staples (Lucas Rush) and designer Shea Crescendo (Oscar Conlon-Morrey).
The story is split into 9 short episodes, but it’s so infectiously funny you’ll probably want to binge the whole 90 minutes. With the cast filmed at home, there are plenty of in jokes about the suspects being put in isolation and the familiar looking rooms. Director Benji Sperring keeps the pace brisk, with conversations flowing smoothly as Justine Case moves around the house. An animation shows the layout of the house and the position of each character to help the audience keep track in a nice touch.
The plot and characters are ridiculous, and the cast are obviously having a great time. The musical numbers are a triumph, with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Nathan Tysen. Each character gets a solo, which moves the plot along in varying degrees. Cedric Neal and Debbie Kurup’s sultry duet is a highlight, with Rachel Tucker as Varthur’s wife Joan almost stealing the show with her gleeful song about her newfound freedom as a widow. But it’s Oscar Conlan-Morrey who will make your jaw drop, first with his fantastic costume, and then with his brilliantly unhinged performance as Shea remains in character as Rosetta Stone, trapeze artist, determined to solve the murder of her beloved husband. Wonderful stuff – guaranteed to have you howling with laughter. Ben Forster pops up to give inspiration to Lucas Rush in the fantastically funny Big Cat, while Emma Salvo’s explanation in song of how she solved the murder is a joy. A Killer Party is wonderful entertainment with a stellar cast revelling in the silliness and gleeful energy.