Hayes Theatre
16 August, 2023
In short – go see this production. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in recent memory. It is smart, the leads are charming and talented as hell, and the music is deceptively catchy (I’m still humming a few of the numbers).
Murder for Two is an interesting concept for a musical – two actors, one of whom is portraying multiple characters. There aren’t big costume changes – it really relies on physicality and voice work of one of the actors. This really shouldn’t work – it defies logic! And yet, somehow, it does! Clever staging, and the ruthless charisma of Maverick Newman keeps you at the edge of your seat, completely entranced as the mystery unwinds.
I didn’t want to like this – I wanted to find fault. While I went in with an open (if curious) mind, they actually lost me in the first five minutes. An unfortunate piece of lighting obscured the face of Newman (this was at the very start, when we are trying to connect to the character; any obstacles can make this challenging). Similarly, harsh lighting on Gabbi Bolt’s character, in particular during her opening number, made it a bit difficult to connect. This fortunately changes once we get into the setting of the bulk of the play, the living room where a Murder has taken place (I guess I should have given a spoiler warning, but its in the title…). The lighting from that point on was fine, and elevated the show.
I’m not sure if what happened at the beginning was a conscious choice (as Newman portrays multiple characters, so perhaps the shade was an artistic choice?), or perhaps the actor missed his mark on this particular night. I do find that Hayes sometimes has challenges lighting downstage centre, I presume because it is such an intimate space. Anyway, this was practically forgotten about 15 minutes later, and is only something I noticed as the characters and conventions of this production were still forming.
I’d also remark that it felt a little big low energy at the start. I couldn’t fully invest in Bolt’s ‘Protocol Says’, an up-tempo solo number that sets up her character. However, I can actually appreciate the slow build up in energy, because by the end of the show, everyone is absolutely breathless from singing, laughing and cheering. Bolt’s character is also the “straight – man” to Newman’s insane menagerie of roles, and she absolutely shines when she is interacting with (and reacting to) Newman. I also think Bolt, who (according to her socials) typically plays an instrument while she sings, looked a little bit out of place without a keyboard in front of her. Regardless, once Bolt and Newman’s characters ‘meet’, all is right with the world, and you will be gasping for air between belly laughs.
I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises in store for the audience. The production is quite meta, and you can’t help trying to solve the murder along with Bolt’s hapless detective. Newman is absolutely unhinged as he morphs through characters of varying height, gait, and sanity, with as many dialects as there are dance breaks (of which there are, welcomingly, many). Bolt’s eye brows are the unofficial third (or fourth?) actor in this production, and she has an uncanny ability to connect with the audience whilst Newman Ronde de Jambe’s about the stage.
It’s a great evening of theatre, and Newman and Bolt have joined the list of actors I’d pay to see read a phonebook. I’m also incredibly curious how understudy Sam Marques would interpret these roles! The only thing criminal about this show is that it closes in a mere two -(ish) weeks.