Alana’s Score: 3 Jessica Fletcher Epiphanies
Have you ever loved a TV show soooo much you had to make a 2-hour stage production about it?
Meet Tim Benzie, superfan of the Angela Lansbury classic Murder, She Wrote, which screened for 12 seasons in the 80’s and 90’s. Lansbury played mystery author cum amateur detective Jessica Fletcher who lives in the idyllic seaside village of Cabot Cove. The only thing disrupting the peace and quiet? The myriad murders! Jessica always happens to find herself involved in the murders some way or another, and takes it upon herself to solve them, one glorious epiphany at a time.
It truly is a classic, and Lansbury is a gem and we must protect her at all costs. Murder, She Wrote is some of her finest work. She holds the record for the most Golden Globe nominations (10) and wins (4) for Best Actress in a television drama series, and the most Emmy nominations (12) for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Benzie’s show invites the audience to a screening of an episode of the TV show, so get your magnifying glass ready – can you solve the murder before Jessica does?
Sporting a Jessica-style wig and trench coat, Benzie talks us through the show with an obvious and deep-seated reverence for Lansbury and all things Murder. It’s an interactive show, inviting you to guess the murderer, spot the clues, and test your Angela Lansbury/Cabot Cove/Jessica Fletcher/obscure 80’s stars knowledge.
It’s fun, but the multiple intervals make the show seem longer than it should. Benzie has an infectious energy, and his passion for the show shines through. His classically Australia self-deprecating humour was a winner, and the (purposefully?) slapdash approach was charming.
It would help if you were a fan of the original show, but those with little or no knowledge will still have a good time.
Alana Kaye – Theatre Now
