Torben Betts offers up a New Years Eve to never forget in his latest play that features a stellar cast but doesn’t seem quite sure of what it wants to be.
Picture this: the curtain rises on a grisly crime scene in which a number of characters have been killed in a variety of ways such as being shot by a gun, killed by crossbow, stabbed – with only one survivor at the end. So how did this situation and unfold why? These are the two questions that lie at the heart of Murder at Midnight, the latest play from Torben Betts that builds up to the climax beautifully.
At the centre of the story is Jonny a hardened criminal, his mother Shirley who comes out with sharp witted observations, Jonny’s girlfriend Lisa looking for fun and an escape route, Paul who has secrets that add a sense of hilarity to proceedings as he grows increasingly anxious, the needy and insecure Trainwreck Jonny’s associate and Cristina Shirley’s carer who inadvertently gets caught up in proceedings with no thanks to her friend Russell.
What makes this a solid play is the way in which it is strongly character driven, ensuring that the audience is thoroughly invested in the characters and how their backstories and secrets begin to emerge. At its core, it shows how the relationships between the characters become more and more twisted (with more unexpected surprises coming towards the end).
Out of the two acts, the second is certainly the stronger as it becomes darker in tone as violent acts are committed and secrets are exposed – the first doesn’t seem to want to build anywhere, but there are still strong interactions between the characters to draw the audience into their backgrounds and offers plenty of entertaining moments along the way.
The other slight problem that Murder at Midnight has is that it never seems to be quite sure if it wants to be a thriller or a farce. Throughout there are examples of moments of tension that are broken through one line that didn’t feel quite fitting of the situation.
The way in which the production has been filmed by Tristan McShepherd also highlights how cleverly the show has been put together. In particular, I loved the way in which characters in different situations early on appear to be put seamlessly together. It keeps the show feeling pacy, while the way in which it heads back to the past from the present is impressively done.
Throughout it all, Philip Franks has directed with a wonderful gleefulness – ensuring that the comedy and characters really take centre stage as well as for the second act the tension cranks up subtly. Meanwhile, Colin Falconer’s multi levelled set design is impressive and is used to great effect consistently.
As you watch the story unfold, you might think that it is overly ridiculous to be true (those with a fear of dogs might want to stay clear for example), but the performances of the cast never fail to delight in their own ways.
Jason Durr as Jonny perfectly captures the Robbie Williams fanatic criminal perfectly, delivering a perfect blend of menace with a hint of comical wit. Meanwhile, Susie Blake as Jonny’s mum Shirley beautiful times her lines that makes the audience sit up and wonder what she is going to say next – sharp, delightfully honest it really is a standout performance.
Elsewhere, Katie McGlynn as the ditsy but ultimately vulnerable Lisa who wants to be taken seriously offers an immensely enjoyable performance alongside Max Bowden as Paul – their antics offer some truly hilarious moments. Peter Moreton as Trainwreck is perhaps one of the warmest and most endearing characters on stage – dreaming of a life away from the criminal underworld until a situation forces him to take control.
Overall, there is much to be enjoyed about Murder at Midnight – it just feels like the first act needs to be slightly stronger in the plot and to give it a stronger sense of purpose. But it is very entertaining with a strong cast bringing the characters to life.
By Emma Clarendon
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Murder at Midnight will be available to watch online until the 31st January.