There is always a wide variety of improv shows at the Fringe, because isn’t unpredictable chaos the true meaning of the festival? Murder, She Didn’t Write: The Completely Improvised Murder Mystery provides the audience with the choice of pretty much every key element of the murder in question, including the location and murder weapon as well as the victim and murderer themselves.
Over the years Degrees of Errors’ ridiculous murderous romp has built a strong following at the Edinburgh Fringe, and you can see why when it is so clear how much fun each actor is having on the stage, and you can’t help but just want to join in on the action. It’s also a show that people of all ages will find hilarious (although their will most likely be some jokes for the more mature audiences).
However, at points, the show’s pace did somewhat stumble and slowed the show’s plot, which just isn’t as enjoyable as when the rest of the show is so fast-paced and chaotic. Also, as is the same with most improv shows, the funniest parts were when the actors came out of character, or made continuity errors, which faces me with a dilemma because I want to praise the show for being hilarious at these parts, but this is what actors are supposed to avoid doing. But I guess the fun with completely improvised shows lies in the fact that pretty much nothing is going to go to plan.
Each actor holds their own throughout the show, and brings both a likeability as well as a caricaturish sense of evil to their character. The most noticeable and impressive thing about this show is the fact that every person involved brings their own unique sense of humour to it without overtaking another member of the cast. They are all bringing the same amount to the crazy machine that is this show.
In conclusion, Murder, She Didn’t Write: The Completely Improvised Murder Mystery is definitely a show that you will enjoy massively if you’re in the mood for something light and stupidly fun. However, if you’re the kind of person who goes to the Fringe to be challenged and have your thoughts provoked, this is probably one you can afford to miss.
