Fringe review: SOLVE ALONG A MURDER SHE WROTE, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Solve Along A Murder She Wrote is just the sort of piece you would expect to find at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The concept is simple, you watch an episode of Murder She Wrote and with the help of a few clues and fun set pieces, you attempt to figure out the killer before the star of the TV show, Jessica Fletcher.
We were treated to a classic episode from 1985 “Sing a Song of Murder", don’t worry they have been granted a licence with the permission of NBC Universal Television! SPOILER ALERT: this episode is set in London and features the legend Angela Lansbury twice as Jessica Fletcher and as her cousin, Emma, the target of murder which leads to additional hilarity and some of the interesting accents you would expect from Murder She Wrote.
Our host Murder She Wrote super fan, Tim Benzie guides us through this night of murder mystery fun. He is absolutely hilarious, smutty, camp and so knowledgeable. This makes the show suitable for those who have seen every episode and Murder She Wrote newbies, who will surely now want to go away and binge every episode. The episode featured, of course, varies so this a show you could definitely see again.
Benzie is initially dressed in a grey tracksuit and blonde wig and as the show continues, following a quick change accompanied by a retro 1980’s commercial break, he begins to look more like Jessica Fletcher.
Solve Along A Murder She Wrote is more than just a murder mystery show but an ode to the culture of the 1980s. As an audience, we are asked to collaborate and use the Fameometer and the Suspiciometer to rank 80s TV stars and how suspicious their characters are. There is just the right level of audience participation so you can still sit back and enjoy the laughs without feeling that you could be dragged from your seat any second.
Benzie’s passion and knowledge shines through and makes Solve Alone A Murder She Wrote the perfect funny and endearing hour of escapism.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Sophie Luck
Solve Along A Murder She Wrote plays at theSpace @ Symposium Hall daily* at 8.10pm until 26 August.