![](https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Picture1-5.jpg)
Show: A Killer Party
Society: Special Events (British Isles & Eire)
Venue: Online Stream Only
Credits: Book by Rachel Axler and Kait Kerrigan; Music by Jason Howland; Lyrics by Nathan Tysen. Produced by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Tanisha Spring for Blue Mahoe Productions and Ilai Szpiezak.
Type: Sardines
Author: Meri Mackney
Performance Date: 14/05/2021
A Killer Party
Meri Mackney | 15 May 2021 22:34pm
A musical murder mystery is a novel concept and this production positively glows with the number of West End stars in the cast. This show is even more remarkable for having been shot entirely in the homes of the cast due to the pandemic. This was a challenge for the director, Benji Sperring and designer, Zahra Mansouri, and, I suspect, for the cast who must have been instrumental in arranging their homes to suit. This is particularly true for Emma Salvo (Come From Away), playing Justine Chase, as she has to appear to interact with each of the rest of the cast, redressing the shelving units inside the door she enters through to reflect the ‘new’ location each time. The original production was created in the US as a way to bring drama to the people after the theatres closed and has been adapted for the UK audience. As the cast are dressed as members of a circus, costumes are fun and colourful.
The main thing that comes across is the wonderful time the actors are having, with just the right amount of melodramatic over-acting entirely appropriate for the subject matter. Ben Forster (star of Jesus Christ Superstar, Elf the Musical and Phantom of the Opera to name a few of his credits) and Jason Manford (comedian, writer, actor and presenter) are probably the best known names but every member of the cast has a string of impressive credits to their name. They each get at least one solo number in the contemporary pop score, with clever backing from each other and students at Mountview Academy as required. They throw themselves into these comic roles with great gusto and, of course, the quality of the singing is phenomenal.
The action opens with Detective Chase (Harriet Thorpe – too any credits to begin listing here!) writing her memoirs and the remaining action is flashback to her first case which changed her from Traffic Warden to Detective. Varthur McArthur (Manford), failed West End actor and current artistic director of Blackpool’s smallest regional theatre, calls a read-through for his latest murder mystery play. The cast of local actors arrive at the party with anything but theatre on their minds. When Varthur ends up face down in his soup (a gluten-free cheese bisque), it’s up to young Justine Case to uncover the motives and check the alibis – if she can get a straight answer out of them rather than a song!
It almost goes without saying that there isn’t a weak link in this production. I enjoyed all the performances and it is very much an ensemble, albeit with the cast in different locations. Having said that, I was particularly entertained by Emma Salvo and by Amara Okereke as the ingenue, Lily.
The cast also includes Oscar Conlon-Morrey, Debbie Kurup, Cedric Neal, Lucas Rush and Ashley Samuels and Rachel Tucker – each one worthy of a review of their own.
As for the concept, it is entertaining, possibly slightly over-loaded with songs and I wasn’t convinced that the flashback conceit added much (apart from a fun performance).  The show is in nine episodes which can be watched singly or consecutively, the whole lasting just over an hour and a half. Having watched consecutively, I think it might be more fun to watch it two or three episodes at a time, especially with others, so that potential clues, etc. could be discussed.
It is pure, escapist fun and can be viewed at www.akillerparty.co.uk until 30Â May.